


Of Ice and Scales

by Melody55



Series: A New Year [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Everyone plotting, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Making Out, Pokemon Battle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22011226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melody55/pseuds/Melody55
Summary: After 6 years of traveling and running, Alice is called back by Leon to take her place as a Galarian Gym Leader. Old friends are reunited and old loves are remembered.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria, Dande | Leon/Sonia, Hop/Mary | Marnie, Kibana | Raihan/Original Female Character(s), Rurina | Nessa/Yarrow | Milo, others
Series: A New Year [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827883
Comments: 28
Kudos: 154





	1. Letters of Recomendation

**Author's Note:**

> So basically I decided to bump up the training limit to 18, because no 10 year old should be running around with dangerous creatures. Therefore, the main ages are as follows;  
> Alice-24  
> Raihan- 25  
> Leon-25  
> Sonia-24  
> Nessa-24  
> Bea-24  
> Hop-18  
> Gloria-18  
> Marnie-18  
> Bede- 19

“ _Beat me and maybe I won’t tell Raihan about your crush on him,” Leon’s voice was low as we looked down at the tunnel. For a moment, my eyes widened, heat rising to my cheeks. I heard him lightly laugh as if he had already won. My lips twisted into a smirk as my head lifted higher._

_My eyes stared forward, picturing the field that we would be stepping foot on and the roaring crowds that would surround us. “You won’t do that,” I called his bluff. “Because if you do that then I’ll tell Sonia about your crush on her.” I glanced up at him in time to see his jaw click shut. My grin only widened as his tan cheeks turned as red as a Nickit. A laugh escaped my lips after I winked deviously. Leon was my oldest friend, and that meant I knew all of his secrets and how to beat him at his own game._

That was 6 years ago. 6 years of Leon reigning as Champion of Galar and 6 years of me traveling the world. I had never really wanted to be the Champion, that was all Leon and Raihan’s dreams. I wanted to travel and study pokemon. Of course, I also loved battling and training, but I had only joined the Gym Challenge for Leon’s sake. For some reason, he didn’t want to be alone with the Professor’s red-headed and fiery granddaughter. 

Soft laughs escaped my lips as I scrolled through my phone, reminiscing over the old pictures. There was one of the three of us in front of our town before we left. There was one of us in our uniforms, ready for our first battles. Then, there was one where Leon’s Charmeleon, playfully attacking him while my eevee and Sonia’s yamper were barking on the side. Sonia and I had only laughed on the sidelines. My lips dropped at the next picture. It was one of the three of us, posed with our Pokemon and our new friend, Raihan. Even after all of these years, even after everything that happened, his ice-blue eyes could still stop me in my tracks and make my heart skip a beat.

Raihan had joined us around the third gym, quickly becoming Leon’s number one rival. I couldn't even count how many times Sonia and I had to call them multiple times to come to dinner, or even break up their battles just to get food in them. And none of that changed in the years I was gone. After Leon took up the mantle of Champion, Raihan was chosen to take over the Hammerlocke Gym. Each time the finals would arrive, it would be those two going head to head, Raihan always losing by a hair. That is, until this past year. To my surprise, Raihan had been beaten by a young trainer, maybe 18. And even more surprising, that same girl beat Leon and took his title after the whole Rose going crazy and almost ending the world dilemma. A few weeks later, Leon had called to tell me that the young woman, Gloria, had captured not only Eternatus, but Zacian as well. And Leon’s younger brother, Hop had captured Zamazenta. And not only that, but Leon himself had been given the title Chairman Leon, since no one else wanted to take up the mantle. But it didn’t stop there either. 

“Listen, Alice, I hate to do this, but I need you to come back,” I had to blink a few times before he continued. Going back to Galar? The place that I had practically run from since I had lost to him and been cast out by Raihan? “I know that you’re having your own adventure researching and raising Pokemon, but half of our gym leaders are stepping down.” Any words that I had died on my tongue. “Opal and Piers already have replacements, but Melony and Kabu both thought of you.”

“What about Gordie?” Melony’s own son, the Rock gym leader, didn't want to take over the gym permanently?

“He’s leaving for Sinnoh in a little over a month. Says he wants to get as many rock Pokemon as he can.“ Of course, he did. “Would you be willing to take over Motostoke or Circhester?”

“I-” the words broke in my mouth. “I don't know Leon, I mean, am I even good enough?”

With that, he laughed. “You almost beat me all of those years ago and you were memorable enough that two gym leaders wanted you to take their place. Besides, I’m sure 6 years hasn’t made you weaker.” He did have a point. “Just think about it, okay?”

I nodded, only to realize that he wouldn’t be able to see me. I was going to say ‘okay’ or ‘I’ll think about it,’ but the words, “How does Raihan feel about this,” came out instead. There was a pregnant pause, then Leon sighed. “He doesn’t know yet, does he?”

“No,” the purple-haired man admitted. His name came out as a warning. “I know, I know. You two ended on bad terms, but that was years ago.” My stomach still turned at the thought. The man that I had a crush on had practically told me that he hated my guts and that his life would be better if I wasn’t in it. He hated me and I had no idea why. 

Raihan and I had been close. He was always caring and kind, smart, and funny. His little flirty remarks always made me smile and those eyes always saw right through me. He was always thinking of new strategies to beat Leon with, and new matches for his team. His determination was one that I had never seen before, and the love and respect he had for his Pokemon made my heart swell. Every day I could see that love and passion in his eyes. But he turned cold after losing in the semi-finals. He had smiled on the field after losing to Leon, but after my own match, he followed me out to the Wild Area. There, he tore my heart into pieces and left me in tears. 

His eyes became steel when I left, and I had heard nothing from him after that. The only news I did get was from his social media page or from Sonia or Leon or some of the other friends we had made along out Pokemon journey. I watched his battles, watched as his passion dimmed ever so slightly. It was never enough for Leon to notice, but I did. 

“Alice, you still there?” Leon’s voice rang in my ears. 

“Uh- yeah,” My head shook out of any previous thoughts. “Give me a week to get everything settled here and I’ll be there.” My eyes shifted to my pokeballs. “And tell Melony that she has a new Gym leader on the way.”

That was a little less than two weeks ago. Now, I sat on a plane, looking out at the region that I would soon call my home.


	2. Reunions

After a long flight, my feet finally touched the ground, or rather the floor of the airport. The terminal was quiet. Only a few people walked around or stood in lines for the little shops that were open. Most that I walked past were zombies that carried their bags behind them or coffee in their hands. Once I passed the gate into the baggage area, people began to take more life. Families hugged one another and Pokemon ran around little kids. There was laughter and joy. This was the Galar that I knew. 

A loud screech sent my hands flying to my ears. My eyes turned in time to see the source, but it was too late, the weight had already plowed into me. I stumbled back but wasn’t able to catch myself. My eyes were shut tightly as the little monster licked my face and yapped at its owner. I could feel its tail wagging as its trainer called it back. I laughed as it refused its owner and sat beside me.

"Good boy," I laughed, petting his head as I stood. "Guess you missed me, huh?" He let out another yap and spun around, stopping to glance between his owner and I. My eyes lifted to meet hers, but the redhead had already enveloped me in a tight hug. "It's good to see you too, Sonia," I returned the gesture, tightening my grip on her before letting go. Oh I missed my best friend.

"Oh it's been so long, how have you been? How was the flight? What Pokemon have you caught? I love how long your hair has gotten. Is that a scar on your cheek? What the hell happened?"

I laughed and held my hand up, almost forgetting how talkative and curious she could be. "Calm down Sonia, I'm fine. It's just a little scratch from a wild pokemon."

"It's a big enough scratch to leave a scar," she scolded. 

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, mom," my arms crossed over my chest. Yamper circled around our feet as I finally got a good look at my friend. My brows rose at the change in her attire. Her blue dress was gone, replaced by tan pants, a coral blue top, and a pristine white lab coat. Her ponytail was off to the side, cascading down her shoulder, but her usual stylish sunglasses were replaced by new reading glasses. "Shall I call you Professor now?"

She nodded and laughed, "Gran finally made me one after all of the research I had done on Zacian and Zamazenta." 

"It suits you," I smiled. 

"Thanks," she giggled, twirling in her new coat. "Okay, so how tired are you?"

I shrugged. "Give me like an hour or two for a nap and I'll be fine, why?"

"Because all of the gym leaders, Leon, Hop, Gloria and the two new recruits are all having a barbeque out in the Wild Area for lunch. You in?" The words came out so quickly that I could barely understand them. Luckily, after so many years of knowing the redhead, I was fluent in her quick language. "It'll give you a chance to meet Bede and Marnie, and reunite with some old friends."

My heart skipped a beat as I momentarily froze. I had no idea if she had noticed, but it didn't look like it. Reunite with old friends? Knowing Sonia, she had a specific person in mind. Or maybe she had meant everyone as a whole. I hadn't seen Bea or Nessa since they took over their own gyms, and I remember Milo being as sweet as an Alcremie. And then there was Raihan. I knew I had to face him sometime, but did it have to be so soon? Yes, yes it did. With a soft smile, I nodded. "Sounds good to me."

A few hours later, I was standing in front of Hammerlocke Gate, dressed in a simple light blue sweater, dark blue jeans, and thick heeled boots. Around my hips, my belt held my main pokemon: Noivern, Delphox, Garchomp, Glaceon, Lucario, and Flapple. My backpack held my other 10. I glanced at my watch, 11:30. Where was Sonia?

"Alice," a deeper voice called out. I turned to see Leon walking toward me with his Charizard, Sonia, and Yamper beside him. I could visibly see Charizard's excitement rise as he recognized me. He was fast in his takeoff, but I was faster to stop him. But it was still too late. Charizard had stopped, but a buzzing Flygon had plowed straight into me, sending me to the ground. I laughed as it nuzzled my cheek and hummed happily. A whistle rang through the air and Flygon had flown off of me within seconds.

"Ally, you okay?" Leon rushed over to me, helping me up. 

I nodded with a laugh, brushing off any dirt that Fly had gotten on me. I sighed, "What is with everyone trying to tackle me?"

"It's almost as if everyone missed you," Leon laughed, wrapping his Bewear like arms around me, practically squeezing the life out of me. "Welcome back," he set me down.

"It's good to be home," I smiled, reaching up to pet the needy Charizard.

"What, you're not going to say hello?" Sonia rose her brows at someone behind me. I turned to see a frozen dragon leader and an amused Flygon. Those eyes stopped my heart. I sucked in a breath, waiting for him to say something, anything. His eyes were wide and his jaw was slack. Was he that surprised to see me?

In a slight glare, I looked up at Leon and crossed my arms. "You didn't tell him I was coming, did you?" The question almost came out as a growl. Leon didn't answer, but his eyes looking everywhere but me sent a clear message. Either he didn't remember to tell Raihan, or he didn't want to. I sighed and shook my head, turning back to the dragon master. My stomach twisted as soon as my purple eyes met his of ice blue. He looked better in person than in his videos. He was taller than his 18-year-old self, growing about a foot at least. And he was more muscular. He still kept on his red headband, covering his dark dreads, but his dark blue jacket had been replaced with one with teeth on the hood and red cuffs that wound around his wrists. The front was zipped enough to show a muscular pattern on the fabric, meeting a dark blue fabric on the sides. Instead of tan jeans, his legs were covered down to the knees in a pair of loose, dark blue gym shorts. "Hi, Raihan," I gave a weak smile. 

As the shock faded, his head shook. He muttered nothing but a single, "Hey," before flying off toward the Wild Area. My heart dropped as I watched him leave. He still hated me, was still repulsed by me, and I had no idea why. After 6 years, nothing changed.

Sonia grabbed my shoulder and offered a weak smile. "Just give him time, he may not know what to say." I nodded half-heartedly, hoping that she was right.


	3. The Picnic

She was wrong. As we entered the Wild Area and I was swarmed by my friends and new people, he stood back and watched from the grill. Opal had pinched my cheeks and told me how beautiful I had grown, and Kabu had bowed his head in a welcome. Melony jumped at the chance to talk to me about her gym and the Pokemon I would be using. Hop had interrupted, saying that I should just bring all of my Pokemon out, but I refused, telling him that I would allow him and Sonia to study my pokemon and my other Pokedex's. He agreed, sad that he couldn't see them right away, then he introduced me to the new Champion, Gloria. The brunette girl wore a smile that easily turned into a laugh as we began to talk about battle strategies.

Milo had given me a bear hug, lifting me from the ground, and Bea and Nessa hugged me at the same time. 

"It's been too long, girl," Nessa laughed. "We've all missed you."

"And I missed you guys too, but you would not believe the Pokemon from other regions. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of them."

After a good half hour of introductions and reunions, things had calmed down. Leon had handed me a drink and I had let my Glaceon free to play with Yamper and Charizard, and even Flygon. Raihan had tried to reign Fly in, but his pokemon was too excited to listen. I smiled as I watched the light snow that Glaceon created, covering Charizard and Flygon's noses.

"So you're the new ice gym leader," a young voice caught my attention. I turned to see a young man with curly, platinum blonde hair. He wore a large magenta-colored jacket with grey pants, and his head was turned up. But it wasn't because of our height difference. No, he seemed like one of those people who always tried to be intimidating. Like he had something to prove. 

"And you're Bede, the new Fairy gym leader," I countered. "You must be good for Opal to handpick you to fill her shoes."

"I am amazing," his head lifted higher in a grin, running his fingers through his hair. "But are you? I mean, I haven't even seen you battle."

"Yeah, you have," Hop chimed in before I could. "She went against Leon before he became the Champion. Alice was so strong that she could have beat him with her eyes closed," he laughed.

"I resent that comment," Leon lightly glared at his brother. "But it is true. She is an amazing trainer. I still don't know how I managed to beat her." 

"I got- distracted," I lightly argued. Distracted by a pair of piercing blue eyes. "If I didn't, you would have gone down."

"Still, a loss is a loss," Bede sighed. "I want to see how good you are. So what do you say about a battle?" His smirk suggested that he was one to challenge anyone in his path. 

"What are the rules?"

"Three each, no full restores or any potions. Only our gym types." His arms crossed almost triumphantly. Oh, I was looking forward to wiping the floor with him. 

"Careful, Bede," Hop laughed.

"Too late, I accept," I held my hand out. He shook it and seemed pleased with himself. "Lead the way," I gestured to the open field. A simple whistle drew my Glaceon's attention. Her ears perked up as I called her name. "Do you want just pokemon from this region, or can I use my others," I asked as we took our places.

At this, Bede inky grinned. "I like a challenge, so you can use whichever." I nodded, knowing what my trio would be. 

My eyes shifted to Glaceon. "What do you think, Yuki, wanna battle." Her head tilted to look at her two old friends, her ears fell. I couldn't help but giggle. "Alright, just watch and tell me if you want in." Her ears shot up and she spun, laying beside Charizard as she watched. I sighed, taking a Pokeball from my belt. Bede had already called out his Gardevoir. "Come on out, Majesty," I threw the ball. 

Our battle began with a Dazzling gleam from Gardevoir, and ended with a single shadow ball from my Froslass. Bede's fists tightened as he threw out a Mawile. It's crunch and Iron head made Majesty almost faint, but an ice punch and the final burn of a Will-o-wisp sent Mawile back in her ball. Without a second thought, I drew Majesty back into her ball. With my eyes trained in the fairy leader, I quickly grabbed my Aurorus' ball from my bag, tossing it while Bede still held his. 

"Alright, Luna, you ready?" With grace, the giant creature tilted it's head back in a soft call. I could hear murmurs around me, my eyes quickly scanned each face of shock and awe.

"Oh, where did you get her?" Sonia cooed.

"The Kalos region," I smiled. My eyes caught onto Raihan's. His shock had worn off, leaving an unreadable feature. His eyes went from Luna to me, then they were stuck. I had his full attention as his canines showed in a smirk. I was drawn back to the battle when Bede called out his third and final pokemon, Hatterene. 

"Luna, aqua tail," I quickly called out.

"Hatterene, dodge, and use dark pulse." It wasn't able to dodge, getting thrown back. Still, it used it's dark pulse and struck Luna. 

"Luna, ice beam to immobilize, then thunderbolt," Luna responded with a soft roar, doing as was asked. 

Hatterene dodged the ice beam, but was struck down by the thunderbolt. Bede clenched his fists tighter, "psychic, now" he commanded.

"Dodge, then use earthpower," Luna did as commanded, easily avoiding the attack. Rocks flew up and over to Hetterene, knocking it to the ground. "Good, now use thunderbolt once more." When the golden lights had faded, Hatterene was down for the count. I sighed and recalled Luna hack to her ball. "It was a good match, Bede. I can see why Opal chose you."

Bede recalled Hatterene back to its Pokeball. "And why is that?"

"I can see that your pokemon are strong, I just had more of a type advantage and I've worked with mine for years, bonded with them, and strengthened their moves. I can see how dedicated you are." He stayed silent, his eyes cast down. "Why don't we train together sometime. I'm sure my Aloan Ninetales would love to meet your fairy types," I held my hand out and waited for him to respond. He sighed and looked back up at me, taking my hand.

"I'd like that," for a moment, his smirk returned. "And I'd like a rematch too." 

"You got it," I nodded.

"Alright, me next," Hop jumped up and down. "You and me, Bede, let's go."

"Hop, he hasn't even healed his pokemon," Gloria shook her head, walking toward the new Fairy leader. I could only smile as I watched her heal his pokemon, Bede's face becoming suddenly pink. 

"Oh, such a lovely shade of pink," Opal quietly giggled, striding up next to me. "It almost reminds me of when you were a trainer. Your cheeks turned so pink when young Raihan congratulated you." My eyes spun to face her, my lips parted. She laughed, "Oh yes, I remember. I remember everything when it comes to love." I nodded. Of course, she did.

Time ticked on as we all talked and laughed. I told stories of my adventures, bringing out Garchomp, Talonflame, Houndoom, Aurorus, Delphox, and Ninetales when requested. Marnie and Piers fawned over my Houndoom while Kabu carefully assessed my Delphox and Talonflame. Melony, Opal, and Bede paid more attention to my Ninetales, and Sonia fell in love with Luna once again. My Garchomp, Atlas, stayed by my side, the ever protective pokemon that he was. 

At one point, Flygon had flown over to study Atlas. "It's alright, boy," I told him, petting Flygon. Atlas seemed to smile after that, roaring and playing with the others. I couldn't help the small smile that split my lips as I watched Raihan examine Garchomp from afar.

Taking a chance, while he was focused on my pokemon, I walked up to him, my eyes splitting between Atlas and Raihan.

"You know you can actually go and see him up close, right?" My voice came out as a soft joke. "He won't bite."

I could feel Raihan become tense at my presence. His shoulders rolled back and his back straightened with a deep breath in. "He's beautiful," was the only thing he said at first. I waited for more, but it didn't come.

"I found him as a Gibble. The little troublemaker kept stealing my food," a smirk pulled at my lips as I watched the pokemon. "I guess all you dragons are obsessed with food, huh?" I tried to joke, but he wouldn't budge. 

"I guess we are," he replied in a flat tone, any hint of a smile gone. 

My lips tightened and my eyes slowly closed as I heard him walk away. I felt a twist in my gut. Did he really hate me that badly? I tried not to let it get to me, but it was near impossible when I watched him walk up to Nessa and Bea, smiling like he was at one of his matches. As dinner approached, I fed my pokemon one by one, sending them into their pokeballs after. The only one I kept out was Yuki.

Battles continued after dinner. I watched as Hop and Marnie both called out their Pokemon, Gloria and Bede following suit. It was Corviknight and Liepard against Espeon and Mawile. Move after move was called out, dodged, or landed. The four young trainers seemed in sync with their partners, but I could easily see more. Bede, who I found out was a tough, know it all trainer seemed to glance at the champion every few seconds. Every time she spoke or called out a move, his face would light up and his cheeks would turn a pretty shade of pink. Gloria did the same, giggling and blushing as Bede tried to show off. Hop, though concentrated on the match, would glance at Marnie from time to time, a soft love between them. Marnie, herself, was harder to decipher. She was as stoic as Piers could be. But she still seemed to blush at any compliments Hop would give her, always staying close to him. 

"Leon, how long have those four known each other?" I questioned.

"Little over a year, why?" His head tilted.

"No reason," my head shook, a smile turning onto my lips. "They just seem closer, that's all." Leon hummed, eyeing me suspiciously. "What?"

"What do you know?"

"Just what's on the surface; that your little brother fancies the new Dark Gym leader, and our precious little Champion has her eye on our dear Fairy gym leader," I grinned. "You should probably give your brother the talk," I laughed as his jaw dropped. His eyes traveled between me and the battling quartet. 

"No that's," he stopped, watching them closely. "Oh my god, you're right." I laughed. "Who's gonna tell Piers?"

"Tell Piers wha'?" The singer spoke from behind us. 

"Nothing," Leon quickly responded with a gulp. "Nothing at all."

You could tell that Piers didn't buy it, but he still nodded, grabbing an apple from the table.

He began to turn, but he stopped, "Oh, and I'm not blind." He drawled. "But if your brother hurts Marnie, I'll feed him to my Obstagoon." His lips turned into a dark smirk before he turned and walked off. 

I let out a small laugh as Leon exhaled. "Did Piers get darker?" I wondered.

"Not really, just likes to act like a dark type. You know, since he was the gym leader and all." 

My head shook as memoreies flashed through my mind. "Arceus, I remember that geeky and quiet little competitor that he used to be. He sure has changed." Leon hummed and nodded with a smirk. "So what would I have to be?" I joked. "Elegant and tough, or as cold as ice?" 

"Well you're already ice-cold," he grinned.

I laughed, slapping his arm. "Is that why you're so extra with your cape," I teased. His lips fell. 

"Hey, I like my cape," he pouted. 

"And I'm sure Sonia just loves it." I sighed, my eyes going to the redhead as she excitedly spoke to Nessa, Milo, and Bea. My brows rose as she pointed our way. Bea's eyes widened as she glanced our way. "Why do I have a bad feeling right now?"

Leon didn't even have a chance to respond before Sonia bounded toward us, the other three in her wake. 

"Alice, do you still have your cute little Applin?" Sonia chirped. 

I nodded, my hand going to the pink and white love ball on my belt. "Since when do you have an applin?" Bea's brows furrowed as her arms crossed.

"Somewhere between our 5th and 6th gym, I think," Leon chimed in. 

"But I thought you had a hard time getting one," Bea responded.

"I did, " I nodded, "but then there was a knock at my door and this little thing in front of it." I unclipped my Pokeball from my belt and threw it in the air. In a red beam of light, my beautiful Eve sprung from her sleep, spreading her wings. "Eve's been with me ever since." With a little shake, Eve flew over to me and nuzzled her head against mine. 

"Oh, a secret admirer?" Nessa teasingly swooned. I had to turn my head and close my eyes to keep the heat from rising to my cheeks. Unfortunately, they caught a glance at Raihan, who seemed to be interested in my Flapple. I had to tear my eyes away as soon as his began to drift down to meet mine.

"I don't think it's anything like that," my head shook. "But, I am thankful none the less."

"Oh come on, do you know the legend that goes with Applins? And it's even in a love ball," Nessa pointed out. 

"Of course I know the legend," I replied. "I just think that it doesn't apply to me because I don't know who gave it to me."

"But aren't you curious? I mean, is there someone you wish gave it to you?" Bea questioned.

"I do, but-" I sighed, those blue eyes finding their way to my mind once again. "But I think I lost my chance long ago." My mind wandered to the dragon trainer and my heart sank at the impossibility that it could be him. After all, he made it clear how he felt about me before I left. 

Luckily the conversation turned to Eve's moves and how I evolved her before anyone could pry further. I knew, with Sonia, Bea and Nessa, it would eventually all come out, but I was happy to push that to another day. As the time ticked by and the stars took their places in the sky, people began to retire. First Opal and Kabu, then the four younger kids. Gordie decided to escort his mother home, both telling me to be in Circhester by the end of the week for training. Allister vanished to bed, and the fire pit that Leon had made was slowly losing its energy. 

A yawn escaped my lips as I leaned back against one of the logs that the boys had placed around the campfire.

"Tired?" Milo spoke.

I nodded. "Long day," I smiled weakly. 

"Raihan, why don't you escort Alice back to her hotel." My lips parted to say that I would be fine on my own, but Milo continued. "You're just at the Bedew Inn, right?" I nodded.

My eyes traveled over to the dragon master. He seemed tense as he stared at the grass gym leader. "Milo, it's fine. I can go by myself. It's not that far." I told him, trying to ease any discomfort.

"No, no, I'm sure Rai wouldn't mind," Leon grinned lightly. I glared at him. The last thing I needed was and silent and awkward walk with the man who was trying to avoid me. 

There was a sigh. I looked up to see Raihan holding his hand out to me, his face stone cold. "I was about to walk back to town anyway," he explained, "got early training tomorrow morning." I nodded, taking his hand.

I quickly inhaled at the little shock that came with the touch of our fingers. If he felt it, he didn't show it. After bidding everyone goodnight, the walk back to the hotel was quiet. Only the sound of our shoes against the ground was heard between us. It was odd though, it wasn't awkward. It was more comfortable than anything. Too soon it came to an end. 

My hand reached for the door, ready to go inside. I stopped and turned back to see him watching me.

"Thank you for walking me back, Raihan." He nodded. "It was - it's good to see you again. I've really missed you." 

I don't know if he wanted me to hear or not, but before the door closed behind me, I heard him respond with a soft, "I missed you too, princess."

That night I fell asleep with a small smile on my face, knowing that, though he was cold right now, he still cared to some extent. Maybe things changed all these years. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the battle scene you guys. Im really bad at writing action. Hope you still like it though.


	4. Pokemon Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Guys, This is literally just Alice's Team (Their move sets, which of her separate team's they're on, etc. The next chapter will be coming soon, i promise. Thank you for you patience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trials=The team she used as a challenger  
> Gained= The Pokemon she gained abroad or during her trials, but never used  
> Ice= The team she uses as a gym leader  
> Main= Her main team/ the one she uses when not in her gym  
> Challenge= The team she uses against the challengers  
> Finals= The team she uses for the Finals (going against the other gym leaders, the final challenger and the Champion

  * Glaceon (Yuki) -Trials, Ice {Challenge and Finals} & Main  

    * Freeze Dry
    * Ice Fang
    * Take Down
    * Hyper Beam
  * Abomasnow (Raph)- Trials & Ice {Challenge and Finals} 
    * Ice Punch
    * Wood Hammer
    * Brink Break
    * Bulldoze
  * Froslass (Majesty)- Trials & Ice {Challenge and Finals} 
    * Draining Kiss
    * Ice Punch
    * Shadow Ball
    * Will- O- Wisp 
  * Noivern (Drac)- Trials & Main 
    * Heat Wave
    * Dragon Pulse
    * Hurricane
    * Dragon Claw
  * Lucario (Ace)- Trials & Main 
    * Meteor Mash
    * Psychic
    * Aurora Sphere
    * Irontail
  * Salazzle (Ebo)- Trials & Gained 
    * Foul Play
    * Sludge Wave
    * Flame thrower
    * Dragon Claw
  * Flapple (Eve)- Gained & Main 
    * Air Slash
    * Energy Ball
    * Giga Drain
    * Dragon Pulse
  * Delphox (Ember)- Gained & Main 
    * Mystical Fire
    * Flame Thrower
    * Psychic
    * Fire Blast
  * Alolan Ninetales (Kit)- Gained & Ice {Finals only} 
    * Ice Beam
    * Blizzard
    * Psyshock
    * Dazzling Gleam
  * Aurorus (Luna)- Gained & Ice {Finals only} 
    * Thunderbolt
    * Earthpower
    * Aquatail
    * Ice Beam
  * Houndoom (Ari)- Gained 
    * Solar Beam
    * Incinerate
    * Dark Pulse
    * Thunder Fang
  * Chandelure (Lady)- Gained 
    * Shadow Ball
    * Solar Beam
    * Fire Blast
    * Heat Wave
  * Garchomp (Atlas)- Gained & Main 
    * Crunch
    * Dragon Breath
    * Earth Quake
    * Aquatail
  * Talonflame (Kaschei)- Gained 
    * Secret Power
    * Fire Blast
    * Aerial Ace
    * Flame Charge
  * Volcanion (Erebus)- Gained 
    * Scald
    * Earth Power
    * Stone Edge
    * Strength
  * Weavile (Loki)- Gained & Ice {Challenge only) 
    * Dark Pulse
    * X-Scissor
    * Poison Jab
    * Psycho Cut
  * Frosmoth (Angel)- Gained & Ice {Challenge and Finals} 
    * Bug Buzz
    * Aurora Beam
    * Play Rough 
    * Ice Beam




	5. The Club

I loved my friends. I loved their spontaneity, their persistence and passion. I loved their dedication that allowed them to get up so early. At least, that's what I kept telling myself at 7 in the morning with 15 unread texts, 5 missed calls and a surprisingly energetic professor pounding at my door. I groaned, rolling over in my bed to swing my legs out from under the warm sheets. Beside me, a curious glaceon lifted her head. 

"It's all right girl," I gave a pat to her head before turning and standing, making my way to the door.

"Alice I know you're awake," Sonia called out from the other side of the door. 

"No I'm not, go away," I jokingly replied, stopping mere inches from the metal knob. 

"Ah-ha, I knew it," she exclaimed. "Now let me in or I'll have yamper short circuit the door."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "The only thing that would do is break it and lock me in here," I countered.

"Told you," I heard Nessa laugh.

"Oh come on Alice, we're going shopping and you said you would come," Sonia complained.

My brows furrowed as I opened the door. "You never told me about a shopping trip," I accused.

"Oh did I forget to do that?" She not so innocently replied, slipping past me to sit in my bed. 

"And why exactly are we going shopping?" I questioned.

"Because some of us gym leaders, as well as Sonia and Leon, are going to a club tonight, and Sonia decided that we all need new dresses," Nessa explained. "And on top of that, we have the annual banquet this week, and we need to get you a dress for that. It's where you, Mark, Madison, Bede and Marnie will officially take over as gym leaders."

"And I'm guessing Mark and Madison are Kabu's choices?" Nessa nodded. "Sweet I haven't seen a double gym since Liza and Tate. When do they arrive?"

"This afternoon," Sonia replied. "So they're going to meet us at the club."

"So they're our age I'm guessing," I commented. 

"Well, Mark is 25 and Madison is 21, but they're practically inseparable," Sonia answered.

"And apparently one hell of a team," Nessa added. 

"They'd have to be for Kabu to go off script and choose two trainers," I agreed. 

"Either way, you need to get ready because we have breakfast and a full day of shopping before we come back here to get ready," Sonia clasped her hands behind her back as she listed the days activities.

Not wanting to upset her, I did as she asked and got ready, only taking my Glaceon and Aurorus with me. I was told that Bea couldn't join us because she had to take care of a problem at her gym, but would join us for practice the following day, so it was just the three of us. It almost felt like we were teenagers again, joking and gossiping. We reminisced about our challenge and the odd things that happened, along with the drama. Sonia filled me in more about the Gloria, Bede, Marnie, and Hop situation. Apparently she called their relationships from the very beginning, but Nessa countered that Sonia had actually been rooting for Gloria and Hop to get together. 

"Always a dreamer, aren't you?" I joked. 

"They looked so cute together," she pouted.

"Yeah, but Bede and Marnie are good fits for them," Nessa argued. 

"Just like how you and Milo are?" I smirked, taking a sip of my tea as I watched her blush furiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the water leader lied.

I hummed. "Of course you don't have a thing for the soft and kind farmer. You know he _is_ your weakness," I teased.

"And you would know all about weaknesses, huh?" She countered. "We all know you've had it bad for Rai." My lips tightened and I turned away. "Oh come in, girl, what is up with that? You two used to be so close."

" _Used to_ , being the keyword. Not anymore," I shook my head sadly. 

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Sonia reached out to grab my hand. "Just give him time." 

"I gave him six years, Sonia. Six years to reach out to me, to talk to me. But nothing happened. I get if he doesn't want to talk to me. I just wish I knew what I did."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Nessa argued. "If he's ignoring you, that's all on him." 

And with that, our conversation switched back to the day's plans and what dressed we liked. It wasn't until 5 when we finally ate an early dinner, our shopping bags sitting beside us. And by seven, we were finally, almost, ready for the night. 

My dress was like a glove on my skin. The long sleeves were an ice blue and the sweetheart neckline dropped low. The fabric clung to every curve of my body, only stopping halfway down my thigh. My heels were thin and high, a strap was the only thing making sure they didn't fly off my feet. Sonia had lightly curled my hair and put it in a loose ponytail, and Nessa had made me look like a doll with my makeup.

"Absolutely perfect," Sonia smiled, stepping back to admire her work. She may have thought that but I couldn't help the urge to tug my dress down. "Oh stop it," she swatted my hand, "you look hot, now act like it. Where's that confidence?"

"In the hamper with my pants," I replied, earning a glare from the red-head. 

"Oh let her be, Sonia," Nessa remarked, stepping out of the bathroom, all ready to go in her greed and blue dress and heels. "You know that she's never been comfortable in dresses." My mouth opened to thank her, but she had to continue. "Once she sees all of the guys falling for her, she'll come around and find that confidence."

"As if," I laughed. "They'll be paying more attention to the model and professor beside me," I pointed out.

"Think what you will, but once Rai sees you in this, there's no way he'll be able to stay away," Sonia grinned. "Well I'm gonna get dressed then we can go, deal?" Her question came out as she was heading to the bathroom with her dress and shoes. 

Nessa laughed at our friend, smoothing down her dress as she sat on my hotel bed. "So what's your goal for tonight? Wanna find a man?"

I snorted and leaned against the wall, "seeing as though it's you and Sonia dragging me out of my cave tonight, I guess I should ask you that." Though, truthfully, I did want to talk to Raihan more. Arceus only knew how many times I had imagined being with him, dancing with him, being held in his arms. Sadly, they were only dreams, nothing more. 

"Well, I might look for someone, but I think I'll be more focused on you and Sonia," she joked.

I laughed. "Oh, I know. I've been trying to get her and Leon together for years. I honestly thought he would have made a move by now, or Sonia would have gotten annoyed and made the move herself."

"Right," Nessa laughed. 

"You know I can hear you, right?" Sonia's voice came from the bathroom. Nessa and I both burst into laughter, causing Sonia to come out in her light blue dress and heels. "Are you guys done yet? We have to go. Leon texted and said he already has a table reserved and a tab open."

"We were waiting on you, professor," Nessa grinned, standing and walking toward the door.

The drop in temperature from the hotel to the club sent shivers up my spine. Luckily the club itself wasn't too far away and it was warm. Music danced across my pulse as my eyes scanned the crowd. Sonia clung to my arm, excitedly scanning the crowd herself.

"Oh I see them," she bounced, pointing toward a roped-off section by the corner. I could see Leon talking to Gordie and Milo, the two gym leaders dressed in their gym colors and dark pants, and Leon in a black button-up. Nessa had already begun to walk toward them when my eyes spotted Raihan, dressed in a fitting dark purple button-up and a full laugh. It would have warmed my heart to see his laugh, but it dropped instead. Sipping a pink drink was a petite young woman with a tight red and gold dress and long dark hair. 

"I'm gonna get a drink," I swallowed thickly tearing my eyes away from them. Sonia was already too happy to notice anything, so she only gave me an 'okay' before bounding through the crowd to meet the others. A deep breath fell from my lips as my hands finally found the lacquered wood of the bar. "Razzberry martini," I told the bartender. He simply nodded and got to work. 

"Seems like someone needs a drink," a deep voice chuckled beside me. My head turned to see a man around my age with short black hair and a sharp jawline. His deep brown eyes stuck out against his bright red and gold shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows to show off his various muscles. "What's the liquid courage for?" His voice asked as his lips curled into a smooth smile.

"Just to get me through the night," I half-joked.

"I get it," he laughed. "My sis and I are here to meet some people that we're going to work with. And apparently, most of them are already really close."

My brows furrowed as I looked at him again. His red shirt was the same shade as the petite girls, and the gold looked almost like flames. He was new and here to meet people that have already worked together, presumably for years. My lips shifted into a smile as my eyes met his. "Oh, I don't think we'll be too bad," I teased. His lips parted, as if to ask a question. "Alice," I stuck my hand out to stop him, "I'm taking over for Gordie and Mel." 

His confusion turned to realization as his soft smile returned. "Mark," he shook my hand, "my sis and I are taking over for Kabu. I guess we're in the same boat."

"Kinda," I shrugged, taking my drink and thanking the bartender when offered. "I actually did the challenge with Leon and all them, so I feel like I'm a step ahead." 

The grin he gave was almost challenging as he took a sip of his beer. "Maybe, but I heard that you left for years after your challenge. You and I were both born here in Galar, but chose to travel. Why? Why did you leave?"

"At first it was for personal reasons. Then once I was gone, I guess I just stayed gone, busying myself with training, meeting new people, and researching pokemon. I knew I wasn't needed here, so I didn't come back. If it wasn't for Leon's call, I would probably be in Alola or Sinnoh." Mark nodded. "What about you?"

"I mostly wanted to get stronger. And for me, that meant finding pokemon from other regions for my team to combine with my own. My mom and dad knew Kabu and I guess he remembered my sis and I from our trials. I almost couldn't believe it when he called." He paused, watching me before raising his glass. "To a new adventure as gym leaders," he toasted.

"To new friends," I agreed, my glass tapping his. 

"Seems like you two are having a good time," a familiar voice turned our attention.

"Oh yeah, we're having a champion time," I teased the purple-haired man.

"Well come say hi to the others," he instructed. 

"Yes Chairman," I fake saluted, standing from my seat. As I looked over to the roped-off section, my eyes caught on crystal blue orbs. My breath hitched before he turned away. Was it just me or did he seem tense?

Either way, we followed Leon toward the others. Sonia had said something to the petite dark-haired girl, Maddison I was guessing, that made both laugh. Nessa was wrapped in a conversation with Milo, her cheeks turning red as he smiled at her. And Gordie was talking to Raihan, though I kept feeling the dragon trainer's eyes flit over to me as I sat down. Gordie seemed to notice too because he turned around his smile widening.

"There she is," his arms were wide and his drink sloshed in the glass, barely avoiding a spill. 

"Hey Gordie," I greeted with a quick hug. 

"Lookin good, aren't we?" 

"If I don't look good, then blame Sonia and Nessa," I joked, earning a 'hey' from each. 

"I told you, Alice, you look hot in that," Nessa grinned. "Doesn't she, Rai?" Her eyes slid over to the dragon trainer. 

"Yeah," he awkwardly replied, his throat clearing and he looked away, toward the bar.

"You'll have guys fallin' all over you as soon make your debut," Milo added, nudging my arm. 

"Not in a million years," I chuckled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No, he's right." My eyes snapped over to Raihan, my heart slowing as I saw his serious, yet soft features. "You stole a lot of hearts back during our trials. You'll do it again." There was no smile on his lips, nothing that would give him away, but I knew there was something more behind his words. 

"Thank you," I whispered. He only nodded before heading to the bar. There was silence. Leon sighed, then followed him.

"Well how about we dance," Sonia energetically popped out of her seat grabbing onto my arm.

Though I didn't feel like dancing too much, I still let myself get dragged to the dance floor, Nessa and Madison close behind. 

"Just forget about him right now and have fun," Sonia directed.

"This might help," Nessa offered, handing me my drink.

I gave a short laugh before downing the rest of the sweet liquor, feeling it burn down my throat. My eyes closed as I took in a deep breath. I could already feel my skin tingling from the alcohol. I sighed a smile being forced onto my lips, though Sonia couldn't tell the difference. I could see that Madison was confused, but she only shrugged when I started to dance, forcing my body to move. It didn't take long for Mark, Gordie and Milo to join us. I danced for what felt like hours, music taking control of my body as my thoughts were thrown out. I laughed when Gordie or Mark would spin me or Madison, I grinned when I saw Milo snake his arm around Nessa's stomach, pulling her back into his chest. 

A breath sucked into my lungs as I felt Mark snake his own arm around my waist, connecting with my hand. "Follow my lead," he instructed, his mouth too close to my ear. I don't know why, but I nodded, and I didn't regret it. Laughter bubbled inside me as he spun me and danced with me. At one point I was close to his chest. 

"What was that for?" I laughed. 

He shrugged. "You had some guys checking your ass out. I thought that would scare them away." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see three tall and brooding guys, all whispering, and all glancing over at me at one time or another. 

"Thanks," I nodded.

"Anytime," he smirked down at me. "Thought that, since Leon or Raihan weren't here that I would be your best bet."

"How do you figure?" My eyes narrowed as my lips turned up in a soft smile.

"Well, Milo wasn't gonna help since he's too into Nessa and Gordie seems too old for you."

"He's only five years older than me," I argued with a laugh.

"Still, it would be more believable if he was your brother," he smirked. "But it worked either way."

"My savior," I joked. 

"Nah, I'll leave that title for someone else." There was something about his smile that made me think he knew more. "I can tell that you're already taken by someone else," he explained. 

I nodded, but my eyes caught a flare of purple at the bar. My eyes narrowed in curiosity. Leon was watching us, or more accurately, watching the girl of his dreams. 

Mark had already turned to talk to Madison and Gordie, so I turned to Sonia. "Hey I'm gonna get another drink," I shouted over the music, my eyes still on the purple-haired man that watched us.

"Okay," Sonia laughed as Nessa spun her.

Without another glance at the group, I headed to the bar, hopping on the seat beside Leon. He gave me a quick glance as I told the bartender my order, then turned back to watch the red-headed professor. 

"You know, instead of gawking at her, why don't you ask her to dance. Or maybe ask her on that date that is 6 years past due." I could hear Leon sigh before he raised his glass to his lips, downing the remainder.

"Not that easy," he looked at me, defeatedly.

I snorted and folded my arms. "Leon, you have liked that girl for over 6 years. And I know that she likes you, so go ask her to bloody dance."

"Oh yeah, what about you and Raihan?" He challenged. "Aren't you still head over heels for him?" My stomach twisted as I quickly glanced at the dragon trainer. He was too busy talking to Milo to notice our conversation. My head turned back, glaring at the purple-haired chairman. "What's stopping you?"

"Him," I plainly answered. "Have you see how he acts around me now? He's avoiding me like the bloody plague."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Leon shook his head.

"You were there at the gate when he saw me. He froze like a statue, then hightailed it out of there after an awkward 'hey.' And he really hasn't talked to me since, unless prompted by someone else. And that's odd."

"Him ignoring you?" Leon's brows furrowed.

"Him not talking," my head shook in a huff. "I mean, I've watched all of his matches. He's the same social media-loving and charismatic trainer I knew all those years ago. He still banters with you and laughs with the others, but- but when it comes to me, that warmth turns to ice. And the worst part is that I have no idea why he hates me so much." It was technically true. I knew the reasons he gave, but none were specific. "I mean, when I was traveling, I got letters from you and Sonia and mum, and practically everyone else, but none from him. In six years, I never heard a single word from him. And it hurts. The man I was falling for dropped me like some Mimikyu."

"So why haven't you told him about any of this?"

"Because he would run before I could even get one word out." For a moment, he just watched me. For a moment we were silent. But that moment could never last forever.

"You know," he sighed, "when you were talking to Mark earlier, it was Rai that sent me over to interrupt." I didn't say anything. He continued. "I think he was jealous that-"

"Not jealous," I quickly interrupted. "Raihan doesn't get jealous. Not even when you were the champion and he was you rival."

"That's what you think," he laughed. "But he does. I knew he was jealous of me when I was Champion, but he was my friend before my rival, so his happiness won out each time. I see hints of jealousy when he sees couples, because I know he wants that. But most of all, I know the pure jealousy that comes over him when it comes to you. Anytime another guy praised you during the challenges or took your attention away from him, I would see his hands ball into fists and any smile turned to a scowl. It was like that back then, and for the first time in six years, I saw him do it again when you were talking to Mark."

"Then why hasn't he talked to me? If he likes me so much and doesn't want me to talk to other guys then why doesn't he come talk to me himself?" The question came out a little more harsh than I had intended.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Raihan's been closed off for a while. The only reason I know is because I know him." He paused before a smirk formed on his lips. "That, and it was pretty obvious when his jaw dropped at the sight of you."

A small smile played on my lips. The thought of him watching me brought a blush to my cheeks. But it quickly vanished when I spotted him on the dance floor, dancing too close to a tall woman with a green dress and deep red hair. With a sharp breath, I looked away, only to remember the reason I left. Leon may have thought he was sure but I knew better. After all, Raihan was my personal reason for leaving, not that I would ever tell Leon or the others. It was just too painful knowing I could be near him, but not with him. Raihan had made that painfully clear in both actions and words. Even now, he was still repulsed by me. Isn't that why he was ignoring me? He had to keep face with everyone else, but didn't want to interact with me more than he had to?

"Alice," I heard Leon's voice become concerned. 

I shook my head, grabbing my drink. "I need some air," I announced. "Um, go dance with Sonia. I'll be fine," I told him before quickly walking away. My hand rose to my beating chest, my lungs struggling to get a breath in. A cold wind sent shivers down my spine as I exited onto the patio. Lights illuminated the city, circling around the stadium. The night wasn't loud, but the noises still jumbled with the pounding in my ears. Despite the cold air, my skin still heated like a furnace. My mind relayed image after image, memory after memory. At first, it was his smile, the same one that made me fall for him, made me think he felt the same. Then it was his words. 'She's only a friend,' he had said, 'I don't feel that way about Alice.' They were words I wasn't supposed to hear but did. Then it was the image of his body pressed against the young redhead's, Scarlett. I knew that she had a thing for him, but to see their lips connected, his arms around her waist, pulling her close, was completely different. And finally, it was the anger in his eyes as he cornered me in the Wild Area. 'My life would be better off without you,' he hissed.

Air refused to enter my lungs, my head began to spin. My head dropped as my hands grasped the cold metal railing in front of me. A muffled voice called my name, but I could only focus on breathing. 

"Alice," a voice snapped. Arms grabbed my shoulders and it felt like everything snapped back into place. Air silently sucked back into my lungs, cooling the fire and calming my heart. My eyes met a pair of dark brown orbs. I nodded when he asked if I was okay. I didn't struggle when he led me over to the outdoor fireplace, sitting me down on one of the couches. I took a sip of water when offered and didn't shrug his jacket off when he placed it on my shoulders.

"Thank you," fell from my lips as my eyes dared to meet his again. 

He nodded, "you wanna talk about it?" I shook my head. "Okay," he whispered. I expected him to walk away, for him to leave me alone, but he stayed.

First one, moment passed, then another, then another. I don't know how long passed until I finally spoke. "Mark," I began, his eyes caught mine. "What would you do if you loved someone, but you knew they didn't feel the same? What if all of your friends insisted that he did, and you got your hopes up, only to be crushed when you realize that they're wrong?"

He hummed taking a sip of his drink. His eyes glanced down at my drink and he leaned over to pick it up and hand it to me. "I'm guessing this is about Raihan?" He questioned. My lips parted to argue, but he continued. "I may have overheard part of your conversation with Leon," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. I nodded, taking a long sip of my drink. "So what's the history there?"

I shrugged. "Leon and I grew up together. Our moms were close friends. We met Sonia when we were about 9, and the three of us joined the challenge together. After a few months, Raihan joined us. The others did at one point or another, but he stayed."

"He was the only one to fully join your group?"

I nodded. "During that time, I grew a huge crush on him. He was always so sweet and smart. So passionate and strong." I took in a deep breath. "Around the 6th gym, we met this girl, Scarlett. She grew almost obsessed with Raihan and they spent so much time together, talking and training. I couldn't see her without seeing him. They were close, but I guess I never noticed how close until it was too late. He was already hers and- and a number of other things happened. I lost in the semi-finals and I knew there was no reason for me to stay. So, I ran. I traveled the world with the intention of coming home within a year. Somehow, I still had hope that what I saw, what I heard was somehow not true. I was ready to buy a ticket home when I realized that, in the year I was gone, I had heard nothing from him. No message, no picture, no call. I didn't matter to him, so why would I go back? He was still- repulsed by me and I didn't want to face him, so I stayed away. The rest, you probably already know." 

He nodded. "Something about him ignoring you and getting jealous when I was talking to you," he let out a short laugh before taking a sip of his drink. "Well, he's crazy to even try to ignore you, Alice. You are completely stunning, and to think that anyone would think you repulsive is insane. But its also not insane to notice how he stares at you, watches you. You know he hasn't taken his eyes off of you since I got out here." Involuntarily, my eyes turned to the glass door to see a pair of crystal blue eyes watching us. His lips were tight, twisting my stomach, and his fists were balled up. "Whether you believe it or not, he does care for you." Mark sighed leaning back in his chair. "Besides, I don't see this Scarlett here tonight, nor have I heard a word about her, save for yours."

My eyes lowered as I nodded, taking a sip of my drink. It was true. I, myself, hadn't heard Sonia, Leon, Raihan, or anyone else really talk about the seductive redhead. Had she moved away? Had she and Raihan broken up? Were they even together? My head shook me out of my thoughts and I looked back at Mark. “All of this has gotten me a bit tired. I think I’m gonna go.” I gave him a weak smile as I stood. 

“Want me to walk you?” he stood next to me.

“No it’s okay,” I took in a deep breath, downing the last of my drink. “I’ll make sure to text Sonia when I get back. I just think I need some alone time.”

He nodded, taking the empty glass out of my hand. “See you at practice then?”

I groaned and he laughed. Of course, we had to go drinking before a big day of practice. “Bright and Early,” I rolled my eyes. 

“Alright, be safe,” he told me, pulling me in for a hug. 

“Thank you, Mark. I really needed some unbiased person to talk to.”

“Any time, Ice leader,” he grinned, taking his jacket. 

I smiled before heading out through the back gate. Luckily, the trip wasn’t too long and I was able to get to my hotel room without a hassle. Looking at my phone, I saw that I had a few messages. One was from Melony, reminding me that I would spend Friday and Saturday in Circhester before the banquet in order to get acquainted with the gym and town, to get my house and to get my gym uniform. The rest of my texts were from Sonia and Leon, both telling me to get better and they expected me to still be at practice. Mark must have told them I wasn’t feeling well. I silently thanked him before responding.

To Sonia:

Thanks. May have been my drinks or the food I ate. :( I made it safe. See you two tomorrow 

Not even a minute passed before she responded

From Sonia:

Yeah, that crab pasta might have been bad. We'll definitely see you tomorrow, make sure to bring your precious little pokemon and Pokedex's. Hop and I wanna study them while all of you leaders train :) Night girl

I couldn’t help but laugh at the redhead as I slid into bed, Yuki popping out of her Pokeball to jump on the bed and snuggle. Clicking my phone shut, I leaned over to switch the light off. The night may not have been what I expected, but it definitely gave me things to think about. 


	6. What I'm Made Of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, i just want to say how happy i am to see all of your comments. they were truly the reason why i keep writing this. If you have anything you want to add into the story, maybe something you want discussed or a quote, i will happily try and fit it in. Trust me, i know this is a lot of drama with these two, but i have the ending all ready and it gets better. Thank you guys!

Practice was supposed to start at 6. The doors were open and the field lights were on, illuminating what the newly risen sun could not, but no one was there. Setting my bag on one of the side benches, I pulled out my phone. 6:03, no texts, no calls, nothing. I sighed, putting my phone back on my bag. My eyes scanning the room as I checked my belt, making sure each of my team’s pokeballs were secure. There was a table to the side of the benches, holding a three-tiered tray that could hold pokeballs. With the stethoscope and other tools, I bet that it was Sonia’s makeshift research section. One by one, I placed my 7 nonregional pokemon on the tray; Aurorus, Deplphox, Houndoom, Talonflame, Garchomp, Volcanion and my Aloan Ninetales. 

“Be good you guys,” My voice softly told them as if they could hear me. My eyes traveled to the center of the field, silent and empty. Adjusting my black leggings and my light blue tank top, I headed out to the center. “Might as well,” I sighed, grabbing two pokeballs from my belt. “Time to wake up my loves,” I smiled, tossing them in the air. I watched as red beams formed into a happy Glaceon and a grumpy Weavile. 

“Thought I was the only one crazy enough to get up this early,” a voice stopped me from calling out my first moves. Yuki perked up, running toward the gym’s leader. He smiled as she jumped into his arms. She always did love him. 

“Isn’t this a bit late for you, Raihan?” I grinned, turning to face him. “I seem to remember you getting up at the crack of dawn each day. I used to hate waking up to sandstorms and fire blasts,” a small laugh escaped my lips. He nodded with his own chuckle. “I could never sleep past 6:30, still can’t sometimes.”

“Glad I got you into the habit,” he smirked his sharp teeth showing. “Now, what are you doing here this early?” he asked, walking toward me. A breath sucked into my lungs as his eyes refused to leave mine, even as he handed off the ice eeveelution. “Practice doesn’t start till 7, 7:30 if you’re counting when Leon, Sonia, and the others will actually get here. Not really looking forward to Kabu’s lecture about punctuality.” 

My brows furrowed as I set Yuki down. “But I thought it was supposed to start at 6?” His head shook. I groaned internally, cursing Sonia for this obvious setup. 

“So how about a battle, since you’re here?” he challenged, holding Flygon’s Pokeball up. 

“Type or general?” I asked.

“Type,” he answered. For a moment, he paused, his eyes trailing down. “But before that can I- can I see your Garchomp again?” 

I smiled and nodded, walking over to the research table under his careful gaze. My hand gently touched the metal of Atlas’ Pokeball, feeling his energy at my fingertips. My hand gripped around it, quickly tossing and calling the dragon out. Atlas let out a roar of a yawn, stretching his arms out wide. “I know, I know,” I rolled my eyes, “I woke you up from your beauty sleep,” I teased the pokemon, leaning down to take a poke puff out of my bag. Atlas snorted in a pout, walking over to me. I laughed as he nudged my cheek before taking the poke puff in one bite. “Good boy,” I rubbed his head. “There’s someone I want you to meet, okay?” Atlas picked his head up, turning it to face the dragon leader. Raihan’s eyes were wide as he watched. “You can come over, you know,” I smiled, holding my hand out to him. 

I could see the caution, yet excitement in his eyes as he approached. Atlas eyed him, his head turning back and forth. 

“It’s okay,” I whispered. My hand reached out to take Raihan’s. His lips parted as his eyes darted to our intertwined fingers. He swallowed thickly, his eyes trailing up to meet mine. I could hear a soft grumble from Atlas, then I felt his head nudge my back, forcing me into Raihan’s chest. I looked back to give the dragon a glare as Raihan’s arm wrapped around my waist, catching me. If Atlas was a person, I swear he would have the proudest smirk. As it was, his claws were already crossed over his chest. My lips parted to reprimand the giant creature, but Raihan's chuckle echoed through my ears. 

“I missed you,” his voice whispered. My cheeks heated as my eyes darted up. My heart stopped under his gaze. “I really missed you, Allie,” his arm adjusted around my waist to pull me closer.

“I missed you too, Rai,” I was sure my cheeks blushed. For a moment, we stayed in each other’s arms. For a moment we were silent. Then Atlas growled happily, tapping one of the pokeballs in my bag. A thrilled hum swirled around us. I giggled as Eve dance around us, nuzzling her cheek into Raihan’s. I stepped back in a giggle, watching the two interact. Eve seemed ecstatic to be around him. It made me happy to see my Pokemon so happy, but it made me wonder. Eve was such a timid Pokemon, always sticking to my side. And yet, she twirled and danced, and nudged Raihan’s head as if he were an old friend. My smile slowly faded as my heart stopped. Since I had gotten her late in the game, I wasn't able to use or train her as much. I did bring her out every once in awhile, but not enough for her to remember Raihan. She wasn't even truly comfortable around Leon or Sonia. So why Rai? Why was she so sweet around him?

A gasp was almost muffled my hand that flew up to cover my lips. Raihan’s eyes snapped to mine. At first, they were soft and energetic, then they faded to worry. “You,” was the only word that fell from my throat. 

He froze. Finally, after 6 years, he was caught. “Alice I-”

My head shook. “You were the one- after all this time, you were the one who gave Eve to me?” My heart swelled at the implications, but fell at the truth. He never told me and he had to have a reason for that. He slowly nodded. “Why?”

His mouth opened to speak, but it closed, changing direction. He looked away, petting Eve. “Because I-” he paused. His soft expression hardened and his lips tightened. “Because I saw that you really wanted one and I knew we wouldn’t be able to leave without you getting one. So I decided to catch one for you myself.”

Daggers stabbed into my chest as I tried to keep my composure. It wasn't because he cared for me. It wasn't because he cared about the dumb story that came with Applins. He just wanted to move forward, to train more. Not knowing what else to say or do, I turned back to the research table, placing Atlas’ ball back. “Well thank you. Eve is an amazing pokemon.” The words came out awkward and fast. I scolded myself for my broken dream. I wanted it so badly to be because he cared, but he obviously didn’t. And he never told me because he didn’t want to be linked to me romantically or otherwise. 

A small smile twitched on and off of my lips as Atlas rubbed his head on my shoulder. My hand went up to pet his chin and my head rested against him. “Go play with Eve and the others. I’ll be right back, Boy,” I promised. With a deep breath, I turned back to Raihan. His eyes looked helpless, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. “I’m, um- I’m going to see where the others are,” I quickly told him. As my feet passed my bag, I was almost too slow to grab my phone, but I did and I clutched it tightly to my chest as I practically ran to the locker rooms. 

My teeth bit my lip as I fell against the lockers. I forced one shaking breath after another into my lungs. My hand trembled as I lifted my phone, dialing Sonia’s number. It rang once, twice, three times.

“Hello?” Her voice came across the line. 

“Sonia, where are you?” I quickly asked. 

“Uh, I’m on my way to Hammerlock gym right now, why?”

“Did you know?” My teeth bit down on my lip, forcing salty tears down. 

“Know what?” she asked, her voice laced with worry. “Alice, are you okay?”

“Did you know that Raihan gave me Eve?” Silence. “Sonia, please,” I begged, “did you know?”

“Yes,” she answered with a sigh. “I didn’t at first, but I guessed.”

“And you didn’t think of telling me?” I almost laughed. 

“I thought that he should be the one to tell you himself,” her voice sounded sad and sorrowful. 

“Did you also know the reason?”

“Well, yeah, it was kinda obvious,” she snorted.

“Obvious that he just did it so we could move on?” I laughed dryly.

“Wait, is that what he told you?” I could practically see her jaw drop. “Alice, I know this may seem crazy, but he’s lying. He did it because-”

“Sonia, stop,” I ordered. “I can’t keep getting my hopes up only to have them torn down. Raihan and I will never happen because he doesn't like me like that. He doesn't care about me like that. He has only seen me as a friend and he will only see me as such.” I didn’t know who I was trying to convince more, myself or Sonia.

“Alice,” she sighed.

“No, Sonia. Just- just please. I can’t keep getting hurt like this.”

“Okay,” her voice became quiet. “Where are you?”

“Hammerlock Gym’s girl’s locker room. Raihan’s out on the field with Yuki, Loki, Atlas and Eve.” There was a creak from the door. I looked over, expecting to see the dragon trainer himself, but I was wrong. “Scratch that,” I began, my lips parting to a small smile was Loki entered the room and curled up beside me, “Loki just found me.” 

“We- Weavile,” he smiled up at me, his claws wrapping around my sides in a hug. My arms wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Good, at least you have company,” I could hear Sonia’s smile. “I should be there in about five. Leon should already be there. If you think you can, pick yourself off the floor, act like it didn’t bother you and get out there. Be strong, girl. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”

I nodded. “Okay, see you soon.” With that, the call ended. My head fell against the lockers as I took deep breaths, closing my eyes. I could feel Weavile’s breaths beside me, calming me. “Thank you, Loki,” I pet his head. With as much courage I had, I stood, leaning on the lockers for support. Loki looked at me, his claw coming up to hold my hand. “I’m good,” I told him, pushing off the locker. Sonia was right. I had to act like it didn't affect me like my heart hadn’t been shattered in a million pieces. All I could do now was turn my sadness and anger into determination and power. 

One step, then another. The door opened and closed behind me. I could hear muffled arguing as I walked down the tunnel. Caramel orbs turned to notice me. Raihan turned to do the same, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Sonia said she’ll be here in a few,” my heart pounded as I held my phone up. “Surprised to see you here on time, Leon,” I forced a grin to the Chairman. 

He chuckled, his tight lips loosening in relief? “A hangover won’t stop me from seeing you all practice.” 

“Not gonna jump in with Charizard?” 

“Not today,” his arms crossed across his chest. 

I nodded. “Whatever you think is best, Leon. But I still want a rematch.” I challenged. “But before that, Raihan here has promised me a battle,” My eyes dared to travel over to the dragon trainer. His lips were parted and his hands fell to his sides. Confusion clouded his eyes, confusion and something I couldn't quite read. “I’m ready when you are, Rai,” I confidently told him, walking to the center. Eve and Atlas both came to my side, obviously worried. I gave them each a smile. “Sadly I can’t use you two. Mind watching from the sidelines?” Eve cooed, rubbing her face against mine. “Good girl.” My eyes shifted to Atlas. At first, he seemed unsure, then he lowered his head. “Thank you,” I whispered. They both backed up to the sidelines. On either side of me, Yuki and Loki had placed themselves. “You two ready?” Yuki jumped and cooed happily while Loki smirked and crossed his claws over his chest. “Alright then,” my eyes looked back at the boys. Neither had moved. “We gonna battle or not?” my head rose confidently. I may not have felt powerful, but I could at least act like I was. 

Leon seemed to shake his head and blink a few times. Raihan just stood there with his eyes wide and his lips parted. I waited and waited. Neither moved.

“Guys?” I spoke up. 

“Sorry, it’s just- are you okay?” Leon replied, his brows furrowing. 

“Never better,” I lied. I tried not to react to the knot in my stomach as I watched Raihan dart his eyes away, only to nod and walk toward the middle of the field. Within moments, his usual cocky smirk and composure were back. “Ready?” he nodded, taking a Pokeball off his belt. “Good. Loki, let’s do this,” my jaw tightened as the Weavile took his stance. 

“Let’s go Turtonator,” Raihan called out, a red beam shooting out sill the fire turtle stood between us. 

“Alright, let’s make this a clean battle. Three on three, no potions or items unless the Pokemon is already holding one. Understood?“ Leon's voice boomed. I nodded, Raihan smirked, his eyes never leaving me. “Then let's battle,” he called out, quickly jogging off the field.

“Turtonator, dragon pulse,” Raihan ordered.

“Loki, dodge and use poison jab,” I called out. Like lightning, Loki dodged and struck, pushing Turtonator back. 

I smiled when Raihan’s eyes momentarily widened before his facade snapped back. “Shell trap, then finish him with fire blast.”

I shook my head. “Dodge and use dark pulse.” Again, Loki was too quick for Turtonator. He was neither trapped nor hit by the fire blast, instead, his powerful dark pulse knocked the turtle to the ground. “Finish him with x-scissor,” I called out. 

“Shield yourself and use dragon pulse,” Raihan quickly ordered. Loki jumped, ready for the hit, but Turtonator stood his ground. They met with an explosion. My heart skipped a beat when Loki flew back, but I smiled when he stood, even more, when Turtonator was shown to be knocked out. 

I heard Raihan chuckle as he called Turtonator back. My eyes snapped to the side when a, “Woohoo, go girl,” sounded through the gym. I laughed, watching as the other leaders piled into the sides one by one. Sonia quickly made her way toward Leon and her research section, ready to heal. “Show him your power, girl,” Nessa shouted. 

“Alright Loki, take a rest,” I sighed, calling him back. He seemed irritated, always one to fight till the end. “Don’t worry, I'll give you a poke puff as soon as Raph wipes the floor with him,” I grinned at the Weavile. 

“You’ve gotten better, I admit, but this is far from over,” Raihan loudly proclaimed, throwing his next pokemon out; Flygon. 

A breath sucked into my lungs as the dragon flew straight for me. I squealed as his arms grabbed me, lifting me into a welcoming flight. “Fly,” I tried to complain, but it came out as a laugh. 

“Flygon, no,” Raihan reprimanded. 

I laughed as the creature put me down. My hand went up to pet his head. “Battle time, don't go easy on us,” I told it. He cooed, dancing in flight as he flew back to his trainer. 

“Sorry about him,” Raihan cringed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Rai, I know how Fly is,” I laughed. “I should have actually expected that.” My eyes caught his, and my stomach dropped with my smile. No, I couldn’t get caught up in his stupid eyes or stupid smirk. He didn’t affect me, I couldn't show that he affected me. Then again, how could my heart not swell at his genuine smile? “Alright, let's get back to the battle, shall we?” I began, picking a Pokeball from my belt. “Let’s show them your power, Raph,” I tossed the Abomasnow’s Pokeball into the air. He roared in his entrance. “Alright, sorry about this Fly, but let’s start off with a nice Ice punch,” I commanded.

“Dodge and use thunder punch,” Raiahn ordered. I could practically see the switch flip in Fly’s mind. He was all battle now. Where Raph was power, Fly was speed. Raph had landed his ice punch, giving a slight freeze to Fly’s wings, but Fly had paralyzed Raph. “Now use Steel wing,” Raihan called out. 

“Raph, arms up and use brick-break,” His arms were able to raise, but there was no brick break. Raph cringed, kneeling down as electricity kept him in his place. My eyes flashed to see Raihan’s devious smirk. “Alright Raph, shake it off by using ice punch,” Raihan’s eyes narrowed and I felt pride. Knowing what to do, Abomasnow punched himself in the arm, nullifying the electricity. 

“Nice,” I heard Mark shout. 

“Clever, but you’re still weakened. Flygon, used steel wing one more time,” I heard Raihan's order. 

“Raph, weaken him with a brick break,” I quickly shouted. Following orders, Raph landed the brick break but was knocked out by the steel wing. I exhaled, closing my eyes with a nod. “Good job, Raph,” I whispered, calling him back to his ball. 

“One, one,” I heard Raihan comment. 

My eyes snapped to meet his, my gaze determined and my heart driven more than ever. “Maybe, but this will be done soon. Loki, let’s take this battle back.” 

“We- weavile,” Loki happily went back onto the field. 

“Flygon is weak, use Dark pulse,” I called out.

“Flygon, dodge and use thunder punch,” Raihan countered.

My fist tightened as the two pokemon met in an explosion, I waited for enough dust to settle, then I saw the outlines of each pokemon. Weavile had launched himself in the air while Flygon stood in the dust. “Psycho cut,” I called out. When the dust settled, Loki stood, heaving above a fainted Flygon.

“Incredible,” Madison giggled, “Such passion.” My eyes flashed over to the Gym leaders, all on their toes. Gordie and Melony’s eyes were both on me while Nessa watched Raihan crumble. 

“You okay there, Rai,” I grinned. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. 

“Never better,” he growled, baring his teeth.

“Aw come on, Raihan, fair and square, right?” I teased. I had to get him off his game if he wasn’t already. My eyes narrowed on the dragon trainer as he called Fly back to his ball. His fist clenched around it before he sighed heavily, placing it back on his belt. 

“Loki, come back to me,” I softly ordered. There was no hesitation this time. He was tired, they both were. “Yuki, let's finish this,” I looked down at her. She nodded, hopping onto the field. "Ready, Raihan?” I looked up at him. 

“As I’ll ever be, Allie,” he grinned. I swallowed thickly. Each time he called me that, it struck me, bringing me back in time. Back to when we were still kids, back when everything was more simple. His grin widened. I wanted to get him off his game, but he was the one who ended up distracting me. My head shook as Yuki cooed.

“You’re right girl,” I agreed. My eyes met Raihan’s once more and I nodded, just as he did.

“Alright, Let’s go Duraludon.” a red beam shot out, forming into the steel dragon. 

“This’ll be too easy,” I whispered to myself. “Yuki, freeze-dry the ground, then dance,” the worked down grass and dirt turned to ice, somehow shocking Raihan. “What?” I laughed, “Don't remember my signature move?”

“Thought you would grow out of it, is all,” he called back.

“Never, you know Yuki is all about fun,” my head lifted in a proud grin. 

“Either way, Duro, Breaking swipe to the ground, then use body press,”

“Ah, ah, ah,” I wagged my finger. “That’s not gonna happen. Yuki, use takedown,” I ordered. She cooed, her movements fast as she danced on her ice field. Duraludon missed his attack, leaving a perfect opening. 

“Quick, catch her,” Raihan tried to stop us. And he did, Yuki was caught in Duro’s arms.

“Ice fang,” I called out, my grin deepening. Raihan's eyes widened for a moment as Yuki bit down, freezing Duraludon’s arm. “Now finish with a hyper beam.” The battle was done after Yuki’s move landed. Raihan froze, his eyes wide as he stared down at his fainted pokemon. 

“Alice is the winner,” Leon proclaimed, his hand being thrown up. There were cheers around us, but I could only focus on Raihan. He blinked a few times, his eyes meeting mine. There was shock mixed with something else as I approached him. He let out a deep breath, straightening up as he called Duraludon back. 

“Good fight,” I held my hand out. He eyed it, then huffed with a shake of his head, taking my hand. 

“You surprised me. Didn't think you would be this strong after all this time.”

“You saw me battle Bede at the picnic,” I pointed out, my arms crossing over my chest as I leaned to one side. 

“Yeah, but that’s a 5th level gym compared to me,” he lightly growled.

“A bit cocky, aren’t we?” I chuckled.

“That shouldn’t surprise you?” he sighed. “You should know me better than that.” 

My smirk faded and my arms dropped. “I guess today is just full of surprises for me,” I poked before a scream echoed around us. 

“Alice, that was amazing, can you show me your moves?” Madison grabbed my hands. My eyes caught Mark’s as he stood behind her, amused. 

“Uh- sure,” I laughed.

“Yes, oh thank you,” the young girl practically dragged me to the sidelines to talk strategies with her and her brother. Mark just seemed amused by the whole ordeal. 

With a glance, I saw Leon and Kabu talking to Raihan, who was rubbing the back of his neck. Sonia and Hop were off healing our pokemon and the other gym leaders had come up to Raihan or I to talk about our battle. 

“Coming for my crown already?“ Gloria had joked.

“Nah, I’ll let you hang onto it for at least a year or two before taking it,” I winked jokingly. 

“Looking forward to battling with you,” she nodded before sharing a chat with a blushing Bede.

Time passed with other battles and gym talk. Sonia and Hop were practically having a field day studying my seven, as well as Mark and Madison’s combined eight, non-galarian pokemon. Leon flitted between flirting with Sonia at the research area, and grossing Hop out enough that he left to see how Marnie was doing. Piers spent most of his time glaring at Hop if he so much as talked to Marnie, but Marnie was quick to tell her brother off. Around noon, Melony and Kabu had gone to get us all food, including some for our Pokemon, and half an hour later, we were all resting around the field, happily munching on our curry. Once again, Leon and I had gotten caught up talking about possibly couples and when Hop was finally going to make the move on Marnie, or Bede on Gloria. I teased him about his crush on Sonia, making him blush fiercely. My jaw dropped as he rubbed the back of his neck, telling me how he had walked Sonia to her hotel room after the club, and stayed the night. 

“Leon,” I quietly gasped, “did you guys-”

“No,” he quickly stopped me, “It was only kissing- really good kissing.”

“And cuddling?” I teased.

“And cuddling,” he laughed with a small sigh. “So she and I are finally together, what about you? You and Mark seemed to hit it off last night.”

“Mark is a great guy and it was really nice talking to him, but-”

“But?” he questioned. 

“But I don't know right now,” I confessed, my eyes going to my food. “I mean, I just moved back here and I’m going to be leading a gym. Besides, I don’t even know enough about him,” I pointed out. And as much as I knew it wouldn't be possible, my heart still begged for Raihan. 

“Maybe he’s what you need,” Leon replied. 

"I don't know,” Nessa sighed, drawing my, as well as Leon’s attention as she sat with us. “It's like what I said yesterday, I kinda always thought that you and Rai would end up together," Nessa spoke. "I mean, you two seemed to be really close, and he was always watching you." 

My lips dropped with my eyes, and my head shook. "Raihan never thought of me like that. I thought it back then and now I have to accept it."

"Says who?" Leon chuckled. “Who said he didn't like you?”

"Him," I replied. My eyes glanced up at Leon's, his brows furrowed. "Do you remember the week we spent in the Wild Area before the last gym?" He nodded. "Well, one night, I couldn't sleep and I overheard him talking to someone about how he only saw me as a friend, a sister even," I scoffed, looking down at my hands. I had ignored it earlier, thinking that it could be a misunderstanding, but I couldn't ignore it anymore.

"He may have said that, but he didn't mean it," Leon grabbed my hands. "You didn't see how red he got, or how he kept quickly glancing at your tent." He paused, "why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "What good would it have done? Even if he did lie, I knew there was something happening between him and Scarlet. I wasn't completely blind. I saw how he would hang on her every word and watch her whenever he could. His face would light up whenever he would talk about her. I could never compare to her and- and even if he didn't have her, I knew there were swarms of girls waiting to have their chance with you two."

“But none would even compare to you,” Nessa laid her head on my shoulder. 

I could only wish. Soon after we had finished, it was back to hours of practice. We each helped one another with strategies and possible pokemon switch-ups. While both Mark and Madison had their own Cinderace and Centiskorch, Mark had an Arcanine, Salazzle, Heatmor, and Colossal, while Madison had Ninetales, Flareon, Torkoal, and Chandelure. It had been decided by Kabu that they could not do double battles, but the challenger could choose one of the siblings, much like the Cerulean gym. However, in the finals, they could each use three to try and take the rest of us, gym leaders, down. 

The following days were much of the same. There was debating about some gyms and the possibility of an order switch-up, but practices were more about bonding and training with our Pokemon, honing in on their strongest moves and other move-sets if needed. And each day made me more and more tired. There was a small tournament to determine the new gym order, and of course, Raihan and I were the top. Gloria and I had been able to battle, but I quickly found that she was quick thinking and strong. She played to type advantage, but did not depend solely on it. She was a force to be reckoned with, no wonder she won against Leon. But with everything, we all did bond as a team as well. I got to know Mark and Madison, Bede and Marnie more. It almost felt normal to be where I was. Unfortunately, Friday and Saturday had come too quickly and I was off to Circhester with Melony and Gordie. The next time I would see the others would be at the banquet. But before that, I had to see my new home. 


	7. A Home and A Banquet

My new home had been filled with my old furniture and decorated by Melony. My clothes had already been hung up or put in their drawers, and my bed held the load of Gym uniforms I would have to pick from. The master bathroom held a tub and a shower, along with new towels, soaps and other things I would need. There were two guest rooms that were connected by a smaller bathroom on the top floor. One held two twin beds and the other held a queen-sized bed. Both were decorated with simplicity and elegance. The hallway and stairs held various photos of my pokemon journey, as well as my own pokemon, friends, and family. 

The downstairs held a large kitchen with marble counters and an island. The shelves were stocked with plates, bowls, pots, pans, cups, spices, and foods. Under the island counter was a mini-fridge with wine other drinks, courtesy of Gordie I was told. The drawers held utensils anything else that I would need in the kitchen. In the corner of the kitchen sat a breakfast nook, already set up with plates and a candled centerpiece. The house was stocked as if I had lived there for years. 

There was a living room with a large L-shaped couch and chaise in front of the fireplace, and a bookshelf with books, a tiered Pokeball holder, pictures, and other personal trinkets. There was a dining room that could easily fit twelve and a basement that had yet to be designated for one thing or another. The front yard was small, but the back yard spanned out with a full training field to one side and a gazebo and garden to the other. It was big enough to let all of my pokemon free, including Luna and Erebus.

“So how do you like it?” The sweet voice of Melony came beside me. 

“It’s- absolutely perfect, Melony,” my smile grew. “Thank you,“ I turned to her. 

“Well, this is your home for now. Gordie and I wanted to make it as special as possible,” she replied with a glowing smile, nudging my arm. 

“Well, since the tour has ended, how about you go and choose your uniform?” Gordie clapped his hands together, grinning deviously. 

It didn’t take long for me to realize why he was grinning so much. On top of the few outfits that were laid out on my bed, there was also a full closet in one of the guest rooms with even more. Sonia would have laughed at my expression. Melony had picked out what seemed like hundreds of outfits. Every jacket, every shirt, and every pair of pants or leggings were different in one way or another. I tried on outfit after outfit, showing some to Gordie and Mel, and refusing others. It took nearly two hours for me to sift through each one, mixing and matching pieces until I had the perfect set. 

Melony gasped as I came down the steps, Gordie only nodded with the proudest smirk. White knee-high, thick heeled boots ran over a pair of white leggings, my number embroidered on the hip. A white turtleneck sweater was warmed by a puffy silver vest, my number on the back, and sleeve. My hair was put up in a high ponytail and I quickly put on a natural shade of eye shadow and mascara. 

“Oh dear, it’s perfect,” Melony stated, her hands still over her mouth in a giddy smile. 

“Well you certainly look the part, now let's see if you can fight like a gym leader,” Gordie chimed in.

I snorted. “And all of those team practices in Hammerlock were, what? Just warm-ups?” my brows raised.

“Oh, we know that you can fight, but the others don’t,” he laughed. “To them, you’re just a newbie that they know nothing about. You need to show them how strong you are. And to do that, you have to go against me and my mom.”

My hand went to my belt, making sure my team was secure. Yuki and Raph, Majesty, Loki, Luna, and Kit; they were all ready. “Bring it on,” I challenged. 

My challenge with Gordie only lasted a few minutes, all of his Pokémon going down while only Yuki was injured. Melony suggested that I heal, but I knew my Pokemon could take her. And I was right. It took a bit longer and both Raph and Loki had fainted, but in the end, I was victorious. 

“I couldn't have chosen a better successor,” Melony beamed. “Such strength and beauty. Your strategy and patience will surely give everyone a run for their money,” she giggled. 

“Especially Raihan,” Gordie teased. I glared at him. “What? Dragon is weak against Ice. He’s been the strongest gym leader for years. It’s about time someone put him in his place,” he grinned suggestively. 

“Gordie, we all know what you meant,” Melony crossed her arms, glaring at her son. “Now come along, we have four young and talented trainers to introduce you to,” her smile perked as she turned to me, her eyes flicking to the stands where the trainers had watched from. 

Meet _and_ train was more like it. By the time Sunday had come, I just wanted to curl up under the warm blankets on my bed and relax from all of the stressful training sessions. It was too bad that a) Melony still had a key to my new home, and b) knew my morning weakness. I couldn't resist the smell of fresh coffee and biscuits and gravy. As I opened my eyes, I found that Yuki was already awake and downstairs. With a stretch, I stood, my bare feet hitting the carpeted floor.

“Mornin’ sleeping beauty,” I heard Gordie’s voice before I saw him as I came down the stairs. 

“Morning, Gordie,” I took the cup of coffee he offered. “Morning Melony,” I smiled at the motherly figure as she placed a plate of food in front of me. “Thank you. Now, not that I don’t appreciate this, but what exactly are you two doing here?”

"Well, we need to talk to you about the banquet tonight. As is tradition, the current gym leader welcomes his or her replacement, but we didn't know if you preferred me or Gordie give you the title," Melony explained. 

My brows furrowed as I looked over at the rock leader. "Wait, Gordie, I thought you were just temporarily traveling. Are you retiring?"

"Not even close, " he chuckled with a shake of his head. "When I come back, we'll be sharing the gym like my mom and I did." 

"So then why shouldn't it be your mom? She is the one retiring and giving me her mantle."

"That's what I said," his arms were thrown up in the air with the boom in his voice. "But mom thinks that since I was the most recent gym leader, I should get the honor."

"I just wanted her to choose herself," the ice mother argued. 

"Then I choose you," I told her, reaching over the table to grab her hand. 

"With pleasure," she replied with a wide smile, giving my hand a squeeze. 

The conversation soon turned to what else the banquet held and how many people would come up to me for a dance or just to talk business. Apparently, some companies were looking for new spokespeople and their eyes were set on gym leaders and the champion. It wasn't until a few hours later that Gordie finally left to check on the gym and get ready, leaving me in Melony's capable and motherly hands.

"Alright dearie, let's get you all dolled up for tonight," Melony clasped her hands together, sitting me in front of my vanity mirror.

Just like before the club, I had sat in a chair while my hair got pulled in every direction and burned by the curler, and my eyes got poked by the various makeup brushes. I had told her that I could do it myself, but she immediately swatted the idea away, too excited to be able to do such motherly things. Apparently Angela, her daughter, hated make-up and dresses and anything girly. I had laughed when she brought up a conversation she had with Sonia. Apparently the red-headed professor told Melony not to leave me to my own devices. And true enough, I would have barely straightened my hair and I would have put on the minimal amount of makeup. I was lucky that Melony was faster than Nessa and Sonia.

While she left around 4, I came down the stairs around 5. My light blue, mermaid style dress hugged my curves and flowed out at the knee. The sleeves fell off my shoulders and the lace of the gown was decorated like snow. The neckline dipped into a sweetheart and the zipper in the back surprisingly allowed me to move freely. Melony had curled my hair softly, my long hair still falling over my shoulders with the decorative crystals that Melony had carefully placed. After slipping on my white peacoat and grabbing my clutch, I looked at myself in the mirror once more, sighing before heading down the steps.

I rolled my eyes as Gordie whistled, holding his arm out for me. "You look beautiful," he greeted.

"Thank you," I gave a small smile. "You don't look too bad yourself," I teased, eyeing his full black tuxedo and brown button-up. Melony was already waiting for us in the Corviknight Taxi with her husband, dressed in her own knee-length white dress.

The ride was fast, but it was even faster how the security had pulled me away from the family of three, whisking me off to some other part of the Wyndon Manner. The large doors opened to reveal Marnie sitting on a chaise with a dark drink in her hand, and Bede standing by the fireplace. Mark held a glass of, what I could assume was Scotch and a large piece of ice. Madison sat on the one of the other couches with a glass of wine in her hand. None said anything, though Madison did jump up and smile widely as Mark grew his own smile. I tried not to jump as the door quickly shut behind me. 

“Alice,” Madison greeted, her long red dress flowing as she walked toward me. “Oh you look stunning,” she cooed, her eyes quickly scanning my dress. 

“So does anyone know why we’re in here instead of out there?” Marnie spoke, her eyes flickering between the four of us.

“Something about us making an entrance after the others,” Bede drawled. He was dressed nicely in a grey suit and pink button-up while Marnie opted for a knee-length black and magenta dress with a halter top.

And just like at the club, Mark chose to go with a similar color scheme with his sister; a nice black suit with a deep red button-up. “So what does that mean?” he asked. 

“It means that Leon will introduce Gloria first, then the veteran gym leaders. Then, one by one, we will be introduced after Kabu,” I nodded toward Mark and Madison, “Opal,” I looked at Bede, “Piers,” I nodded at Marnie, “and Melony introduce us.”

“So you know what’s going to happen tonight?” Madison tilted her head in the question. 

I nodded. “After we get introduced, there’s a traditional waltz, then dinner, then more dancing and chatting and drinking.”

“Dancing,” Marnie complained, “Bloody hell, is that why Piers was tryin’ to teach me?”

I laughed softly, “Don’t worry, I’m sure your partner will know what he’s doing.” At least, I hoped since Sonia had probably been giving him lessons. 

“Speaking of,” Mark cleared his throat, “did you need a partner?” His question was clear, no hidden signals or ulterior motives. 

I nodded with a soft smile. “I would love that.”

After a few more minutes of drinking and talking, the doors once again opened to reveal two security officers. The silence of our walk made my stomach tumble in anticipation and fear. Soon, we stopped in front of more large doors, and the security officers each stepped to one side, grabbing each of the handles. True to my word, we were all called in one by one after short speeches given by our elders. And with each of them that passed through the doors, my stomach fell further and further. My eyes shot up as the doors opened for the final time. One of the security officers nodded silently, telling me to step forward. With a deep breath, I did as I was told and stepped into the room. 

I had to plaster a small smile on my face to hide the pure shock of how big the room was and how many people were in it. There was a staircase with each of the gym leaders, old and new on either side. Melony stood on one side, smiling at me as she continued her quick speech. I found it easier to focus on her speech as I walked down each step, my hand clinging to the fabric of my dress to hold it up. 

“I remember going home after her battle with me and telling Adam that, if none of our kids want to follow in my footsteps, then I’m going to take her under my wing," a soft laugh escaped my lips. “And now, here we are, six years later, welcoming her into our gym family. I know that she will awe and inspire you as she has done for me.”

There was applause as Melony hugged me, only to pull back to pin my official Circhester Gym Leader pendant on my dress. "Thank you,” I whispered. 

“Any time, dearie,” she beamed. Her eyes darted over my shoulder, almost signaling me to take my place, and I did. A huff of a laugh escaped as I smiled, looking over the crowd of hundreds. 

“And now a dance,” Leon’s voice boomed as he held his hand out to Sonia, who gladly accepted with a blush. At one point, Mark had turned to me to offer his hand, but Bea had quickly grabbed it to pull him away, sending me a quick wink. My brows furrowed in a curious grin as I watched them. 

“May I have this dance,” a pair of ice-blue eyes asked. Not knowing what else to say, I nodded and took his hand. My cheeks began to tingle as he led me out onto the dance floor. His arm had slid around my waist, his palm pressing against the small of my back while his other handheld mine in position. His eyes were connected to mine as he held me closer, easily leading us through the classic dance. "You look beautiful," his features softened.

"Thank you," I responded my eyes falling down to the side. He took in a deep breath, then squeezed my hand quickly, enough for me to look back at him.

"I mean it, Alice," his lips tightened, but I could still see the softness in his eyes. "You look stunning tonight, always have."

"Thank you," my cheeks tingled more.

His lips began to turn into a smirk as he looked down at my pendant. "Looks good on you."

A soft laugh escaped my lips, causing me to smirk. "I guess it means that you'll be seeing more of me."

"I look forward to taking you down, now that I know your pokemon and strategies," he teased.

"Rai, you didn't beat me at all during practice, what makes you think that you'll beat me next time?"

"I came close that last time," he defended with a soft laugh. "Next time, I'll take you down for sure."

I hummed and nodded. "You took Majesty and Yuki down with lucky shots, but there's no way that you'll beat me next time."

"Yeah, well, next time I won't be distracted," he promised.

I laughed, "And what, pray tell, distracted the great and mighty Dragon Master?" 

"You," he simply stated. The power in his eyes made my heart stop and my grin fall as my skin heated. "You grew up a lot during your travels. I'm just sorry I couldn't be there," he sadly stated.

My head began to nod but it soon turned to a shake. "You couldn't," I admitted. "I had to do some of it alone. Though it was nice hearing from the others once in a while, I knew I had to retain a certain independence. But let's not talk about that right now," my brows furrowed slightly as I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to become upset, especially when I didn't have Yuki or Loki or my other pokemon by my side. 

Raihan seemed like he wanted to say more, but he left it at that. Soon enough the music changed and Raihan had led me to the head table where the others began to take their own seats. On one side, we had Milo, Nessa, Mark Madison, and Bea. Gloria sat at the center and poor Alister was stuck between her and a slightly grumpy Bede. Marnie sat on Bede's left, which left me next to her and Raihan at the end. 

A few dozen circular tables, each holding 10 people, sat around the large dancefloor. While Melony and her husband were at one table with Gordie, Kabu, Opal, and Piers, Sonia was at another table with Leon and Hop. My eyes narrowed at the others that sat beside Leon. There were Kukui, the champion and a professor from the Aloan region, as well Champion Diantha from Kalos, Cynthia, Iris, and all of the other Champions. I felt almost giddy from seeing some of them again, then I caught the eyes of a particular man with spiky red hair and a cape over his suit. He seemed to be more caught up in a conversation with Hop, and I was almost grateful. As much as I respected Lance as a trainer and Champion, I found myself wishing that he wouldn't remember me.

"So who's the bloke that Hop seems to be interested in?" Marnie asked, following my line of sight.

"That would be Lance, the Johto Champion," Raihan explained, an excited smile playing on his lips. "He's the only Champion to use all one type. His Dragonite is one of the best, and so is he."

"Yeah, and a pain in my rear," I mumbled into my drink. Both of their eyes looked toward me, Raihan's smile faltering.

"You know him?" Marine questioned.

I nodded. "When I first started traveling, I went to Johto. We ran into each other as I was healing my pokemon in Blackthorn City, and he followed me for about a week before his cousin Clair _literally_ dragged him back to do his Champion duties."

Raihan's smile seemed to dim as he watched me. "So he fancies you?" Marnie slightly grinned.

I chuckled. "Way back when, yeah. But I highly doubt he still does."

I didn't get to say more since the waiters came out with their trays of food. There was small talk between bites, mostly Raihan warning us on all of the Gym Council Members and other government officials that we should make friends of or be afraid of. I should have expected some officials to not agree with the Gym Leaders, but to hear so many, to see their fake smiles cast our way was another thing entirely. Luckily there weren’t that many, and the Circhester Mayor was nor one of the ones that despised us. I couldn’t help but laugh at how the Hammerlock Mayor only tolerated Raihan.

“So what did you do to piss her off?” I questioned with a soft laugh, my brow raising. 

“Turned down a date with her,” he replied with a sigh. 

“You turned her down?” Marnie gawked. “But she’s supposed to be smart and sweet and beautiful. Thought that would be your type,” Marnie gasped. 

My eyes slowly began to close as I tried to block out the rest of their conversation. I did not need to hear. I could have blocked them out completely if not for one name. “Yeah, but Scarlet wasn’t my type.” My hand clenched around my drink, holding it to my lips. There was a pause, a moment of silence. Of course, she had to become the mayor of Hammerlock, the city that Raihan was the gym leader of. My mind flipped through images of them together, possible dates that they would have been on, the dreamy eyes they would give each other. My free hand discretely went to my stomach. Luckily neither of them had noticed, but one person did. 

“Alice, care for a dance?” Mark’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. His eyes were soft, but I could tell he knew what was happening behind my own. My lips parted as my eyes quickly flicked behind him. How long was I stuck in my thoughts? Long enough for people to start dancing again. A breath escaped my lungs and I looked back at the fire gym leader. I nodded with a small smile, not even noting the way Raihan tensed or the smirk that Marnie shot him. And I definitely didn’t hear her whisper that he should have been faster. “You okay?” he quietly asked as his arm went around my waist, a good dancing distance between us. 

“Just stuck in my thoughts,” I half-laughed. His brow rose expectantly. I sighed. “Ever since I came back, memories have flooded my mind, memories that I thought I had put behind me. Sometimes I just freeze when certain things are brought up.”

“Like Scarlet?” he questioned. My eyes shot up to meet his, my lips parting in surprise. He shrugged, “I may have caught a few words of your conversation. So she’s the Mayor of Hammerlocke?” I nodded. “And she isn’t with Raihan?” I shook my head. “Then what are you worried about?” Once again, he shocked me. My mouth fell open, my mind trying to push words out, but I could think of none. “She works with him, yeah? So why haven’t they gotten together?”

“From what Raihan said, she’s not his type,” My eyes fell to the floor. “But if you’re about to tell me that I still have a chance because of that, just stop,” I half-heartedly warned him, poking his nose. 

He shrugged again, this time with a grin. “You said it because it’s true,” he laughed softly. 

“Is not,” I replied. “They may not have worked out, but it still doesn't mean that I'm his type.”

“Except for how he looks at you,” he chuckled. “Did you see the way his jaw dropped when you entered the room tonight?” I stayed silent. “Well let me tell you before you came in he held his usual powerful smirk and his arms were crossed over his chest. But as soon as you walked in, his smirk fell with his hands. Nessa had even bumped his shoulder, but he just watched you.”

“Doesn’t mean anything,” I shot back. Though it was nice to hear. There was a moment of silence before I looked back at the dark-haired man. “Thank you, though.” 

“I’m here to help,” he grinned, making me laugh. 

“Shouldn’t you be watching you, little sister, though?” I nodded over to Madison, clearly blushing at the tall blonde that she was dancing with. I could feel Mark’s hand tighten on my own. I laughed. “Go,” I laughed. “I need a drink anyway.” 

He seemed torn between his me and his sister, so I gave him another smile and nodded toward the other Motostoke Gym Leader. He seemed to get the message since he nodded, letting go to walk toward the girl.

‘Well that was one way to distract him’ I thought to myself as I walked to the long windows. I bowed my head in a thank you as a waiter handed me a drink. From the side, I could see the other gym leaders either talking to other people or dancing. Bede still sat at the table, talking to our blushing Champion. Gordie was dancing with a petite woman with dark hair, her dress decorated like a purple dragon. Melony danced with her husband, and Kabu danced with his own partner. Leon twisted Sonia around the dance floor as she giggled. My hand clutched my drink, jealousy twisting in my chest. The others were in groups talking to some men and women in suits, all except for Raihan. My eyes scanned the room again, searching for the Dragon Leader. My heart dropped when I found him. 

A familiar redhead was smiling as Raihan grinned, taking small sips of his drinks through their conversation. He had laughed a few times, each one twisting my gut more and more. I don’t know why it took so much strength to turn my sight away, but it did. I had to focus on the shining moon ahead, praying that the clouds wouldn’t hide it away from me. The glimmering stars kept my attention, calming my breath and my shaking hand. 

I bit my lips. I couldn’t let them see me like this. I couldn’t show that they affected me. I had to show the strength of a gym leader. Taking a deep breath, I turned back around. I jolted back slightly, coming face to face with an older man with dark skin and white hair.

“Oh I’m sorry dear,” he laughed.

My hand went to my chest and I let out a small laugh. “Mayor Hearse, you just startled me,” I replied. “I didn’t hear you come up. Sorry, my mind has been everywhere tonight,” I half lied.

“I noticed, dearie,” he gave a gentle smile. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

My head shook, “Unfortunately not,” I replied. “It’s all things I have to deal with on my own.”

“Well, since I’ve got you alone, I wonder if you wanted to talk to an old man,” he took a sip of his drink.

“I will always have time to talk to the Mayor of my town,” I replied with a wide smile. “Anything worrying you?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I was wondering if you would allow me to watch one of your matches before the Gym Season starts.”

I grinned. “Testing me already, Mayor Hearse?” I teased. “It would be my honor to allow you to watch a training day. I feel comfortable saying that the gym trainers have improved already and will amaze you.”

He chuckled. “I have no doubt about that. If I know Melony at all from the past years, I know that she has good intuition. If she sees potential in you, I know that neither you nor the trainers will disappoint.“

With that, we fell into a comfortable conversation about the future changes of the town, the ongoing battle between the town and the greedy Hotel owner, the preservation of the Hero's bath, as well as the tapestry in the curry restaurant. Somewhere in between, some other officials joined us to get the scoop on the new Ice Gym Leader. I answered as many questions as I could and chatted with each that talked to me. Some were more understanding than others but as each began to leave to talk to others, I couldn’t help but see the small, honest smiles that graced their lips. There was a sense of pride that filled me with each official that I talked to. When Mayor Hearse finally excused himself to dance with his wife, a comfortable sigh left my lips.

Unfortunately, my happiness couldn’t last as I felt a powerful presence behind me. I let out an annoyed sigh as I felt a hand slide from my side to my lower back. “Lance, get your hand off of me before I _accidentally_ step on your foot,” I warned, not even bothering to look him in the face.

He chuckled, pulling his hand away from my waist and into his pocket. “Nice to see you too, Angel,” he leaned in to whisper in my ear. I quickly turned to face him, a slight glare in my eyes as my lips pressed together. “Oh come on, we haven’t seen each other in so many years.” ‘Not long enough for me,’ my mind replied, the words not making it through my lips. “Imagine my shock when I hear your name being called out as a new Gym Leader.”

“Must have been quite the shock,” I rolled my eyes. My hand pressed to my hip as I leaned to one side. “Last time I saw you, you tried to kiss me before I pushed you away,” I pointed out. 

He chuckled, having enough decency to rub the back on his neck and cringe. “Yeah, you were so feisty back then. I couldn’t resist you,” his eyes locked with mine, trying to be suave and romantic with his small smile. “I thought that you could have felt the same.” 

I shook my head. “Even after multiple times of telling you that I was not interested at all?” I replied. He fell silent. I sighed, rubbing my temple. “It’s a good thing Clair took you way because I would have beaten the hell out of you if you tried that again.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “I didn’t get why you were so hung up on a guy, but now I know why,” he simply stated, making my eyes narrow in suspicion. “I just didn't know you had a type, Alice,” he grinned. I stayed silent as he leaned closer to me, “Strong dragon trainers,” he whispered before drawing back with a smirk. His eyes gestured over my shoulder, but I didn’t have to look to know who he was talking about. “You two looked good together as you danced. He held you so close as if he was afraid that he was going to lose you. I just hope he’s treating you well.” My lips tightened as I looked down at my drink. I didn't have to look at him to know that his smirk had dropped to worry. “Wait, is he not?” 

My eyes snapped up to meet his. “We’re not together, Lance. Raihan only sees me as a friend, and I’ve decided to focus on my new gym.” 

He let out a cold chuckle. Obviously he thought I was joking, but his mouth dropped at my silence. “He doesn’t know, does he?” the softness in his voice was more of a statement than a question. 

“No, he doesn’t,” my head lightly shook, my eyes going back to my drink as it raised to my lips. “And I really don't feel like talking about my love life with you of all people,” My eyes glared at him. 

“Does that mean I still have a chance?” he smirked. I rolled my eyes, knowing that this was his way of trying to cheer me up.

My head shook, but a grin spread across my lips. “Not even in your dreams,” I chuckled. 

“Alice,” a voice cleared beside me. My eyes traveled to see Mark once again trying to save me. My grin spread into a smile as his eyes flicked between me and Lance. 

“Mark,” I greeted. “Something wrong?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Just wanted to see if you wanted another dance,” he held his hand out to me. 

“Of course,” I replied. “Oh, Lance, this is Mark, one of the Motostoke Gym leaders. Mark, this is Lance, the Johto Champion.”

“It’s hard not to know who Lance it,” Mark chuckled, shaking the Champion’s hand. 

“Glad to hear my reputation spans multiple regions,” Lance laughed. 

“With how many years you’ve been champion, and your army of Dragons,” I teased, “There’s no way that someone could not know you.” A thought popped into my head. “By the way, how’s Vermillion City?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he grumbled into his drink, downing the rest of it. I grinned as he glared at me. Very few people knew the truth about the Vermillion Disaster. Some had forgotten, but those who didn’t remember a strong Hyper beam leveling part of the city. Some blamed a legendary or a wild pokemon, but I knew that it was one of Lance’s Dragonites. The poor thing had somehow gotten a knife stuck in its leg, causing it to go on a rampage. Luckily, no one was too badly injured, and no one saw what pokemon made the attack. Lance was able to do damage control as the loving and strong Champion that he was, and no one was wiser. 

After a few moments of small talk, Lance excused himself, stating that Cynthia wanted to talk to him about something. He had smiled as he bowed his head before walking away.

I could hear the deep sigh that escaped Marks lips. “You okay?” he turned to me.

“Yeah, why?” I looked at him curiously. 

“You seemed annoyed with him,” he pointed out.

I shrugged, “That’s just how Lance is. He’s always gotten on my nerve one way or another," I chuckled. “Now, is that the only reason you came over? To save me again?” 

“Well I did think that it would be better for me to come over here than Raihan,” he sighed, taking a sip of his drink. My brows furrowed. “Raihan looked like he was about to kill Lance,” Mark answered. “But, besides that, I think you do need another dance,” he finished, holding his hand out once more. 

With a grin and chuckle, I gladly took his arm, following him out onto the dance floor. For the next hour or so, I was passed between Leon, Mark, Gordie, and some other men. I even danced with Bede, Hop, Lance, and Red, each fun to dance with, but none made me feel the comfort that Raihan had given me during that first dance. At certain points, I could see a pair of fiery eyes watching me. Her gaze made my muscles tense before I forced my mind to forget about her.

Unfortunately I couldn’t hide from her or ignore her forever. When I was finally able to sit down, a drink of water in hand, she had to slither up and sit beside me. “So you’re back,” her venomous voice had my hand clench. “I really thought that you would have stayed away longer.” My lips tightened as I watched the room, not wanting to face the redheaded demon. “Oh well, guess I have to deal with you now,” he sighed.

“You don't have to deal with me, Scarlet,” I snarled. “From what I can tell, I will have my hands full with my gym and you have a city to run. We don't have to see each other beyond this banquet, and even now, we don’t have to talk.”

“Oh Alice,” she giggled. “The thing is that I do want to deal with you. I want to see what makes you tick, why he chose you instead of me.” My eyes snapped to meet hers, her grin widened, venomous to me, but anyone watching would think it was innocent and sweet. “Do you know how much you tore us apart? The nights that Rai-Rai spent training endlessly, trying to get you out of his mind. It would have been better if you stayed.”

“You’re messing with my mind and I'm not falling for it,” I quickly stood. “You may still have everyone fooled, but you never fooled me. You manipulate people into doing what you want. You bat your eyelashes and expect people to fall at your feet. I figured you out a long time ago.” She stayed silent, looking up at me. “Now here’s what’s going to happen, I'm going to walk away and you are not going to follow me. You are going to act like this was a normal conversation and you are going to only step foot in Circhester for business, nothing more. Got it?”

It took a moment, but her grin had fallen and she nodded. Without another word, I turned and walked away. I could see Sonia send me a worried glance, but I sent her a smile, acting like nothing was wrong. No one could see the effect the witch had on me. The hall doors opened for me and I decided that I would message Sonia and the others when i got home. I really could not deal with one other thing.

“Alice,” a voice called after me. My feet stopped, my hands clenching at my side as I took in a deep breath. Of course, Raihan would come to Scarlet’s defense. “Alice, what’s wrong?”

“Not feeling too well,” I quickly replied.

“Bull,” he laughed. “I think I know you better than that,” Raihan replied, his hand gently grabbing my arm, turning me to face him. Did he though? “What’s wrong?”

“I just have to go,” I told him.

“No you don’t,” he almost pleaded. “Just give me one more dance.”

“Raihan, I can't go back in there,” my eyes begged him to let go, but he didn’t.

“Why? Is it because of something Lance said?”

I huffed out a laugh. Of course, he wouldn't blame Scarlet. Any regular person would blame my departure on the last person I talked to, but not him. “It wasn’t Lance,” I snapped. He seemed taken back by the way his arm fell from mine. 

“What did he say to you?” Raihan tensed.

I chuckled, rubbing my temples. “He didn’t say anything that would concern you,” I replied. “Now, thank you for checking up on me, but I have to go.” I stared to turn and walk away, but he caught my arm again.

“Why are you ignoring me? What are you avoiding?” 

I couldn't help the dark laugh that fell from my lips. “I’m not that one who’s been ignoring the other. You literally took off on Fly after you saw me that first day, then you avoided me during the picnic and the club.”

“I’m not the one who left without a goodbye.”

“We said what we needed to before I left,” I countered, clearly remembering how he pushed me away in the Wild Area. His eyes narrowed.

“You may have, but I still wanted to tell you so many things.” Probably more of how he was disgusted by me and how he wanted me to stay away. He probably didn’t want me to be around him and Scarlet. Whatever he wanted to say, he had his chance, but he didn’t. He only stood and watched me. “You left me. I mean, I knew you were mad at me for something, but I thought you had gotten over it. And now you’re back and it seems like you can only be near me for a small amount of time.”

“Again, I’m not the one who’s been ignoring you. I tried to call and message that first year, but you never picked up. You never responded. I had thought you hated me. And then I come here and you bolt at the first sight of me. What do you think I’m supposed to believe?” He didn’t say anything. “You pushed me away long before I left.” 

“Oh yeah, what about when you ignored me way back when?” he argued. “Wasn’t that you pushing me away?” 

"That's not the same thing and you know it," I growled.

"Oh yeah? How is it any different from you ignoring me back then?" He challenged.

"Because I didn't ghost you for 6 years," I shouted, and I could have sworn I saw him wince. I took a breath and shook my head. "Yeah, I ignored you for a day after I found out about you and Scarlet, but I got over it. You know why?" He stayed silent. "Because I realized that having you as a friend was better than not having you in my life at all." Seconds upon seconds ticked by with no words. Moments where my skin began to heat like a Volcanion's coat. My heart pounded in my chest so much that I was sure he could hear. But, if he did, he made no response. It was silent as his wide eyes watched me, his mouth dry of any words. "Goodbye Raihan," I whispered, my voice trembling as I quickly bit my lip and turned away. I prayed that my tears kept at bay.


	8. Girl's Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice is visited by a few friends, stories are shared.

Half of me wanted him to follow, to grab me and apologize, to explain everything he meant and everything he felt. The other half wanted to curl up on my couch with a glass of wine in one hand and a carton of ice cream in my lap. The farther I got from the banquet, the more I began to realize that option two was more likely. Too bad my alone time couldn't last. 

Somewhere between my third and fourth glass of wine, there was a pounding at my door. First a calm three knocks, then another three. I waited for a moment. Then, there were 5 less patient knocks. And finally a countless amount of impatient knocks that tore me off of my couch. I rolled my eyes as I headed to the door, the knocks still sounding throughout the house. 

"I'm coming," I yelled out. The knocking continued. There was only one person- maybe two- that would do so many insistent knocks. "Sonia, stop it," I called out. When they didn't stop, I groaned. Not only was Sonia at my front door, bundled in a thick light blue jacket with fur around the hood, and thermal jeans, but Nessa and Bea were both there in similar clothes. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked, leaning against the door frame. 

"The freezing weather," Sonia quickly spoke, shivering as she pushed inside. I let out a small laugh, closing the door as Bea and Nessa joined her. 

"Well that, and Raihan being an ass," Nessa grinned, shrugging her coat off to reveal a thick Milotic sweater. I couldn't help but wonder how they had gotten changed so fast. I mean, I was home and had been able to change from my gown to a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved top. Did they have a change of clothes somewhere? They had to have.

I groaned. "Sorry, Rai told Lee, and Lee sent us." Bea offered a quick explanation. 

"It's fine," I sighed, walking back to my living room. "You guys didn't have to come though," I pointed out.

"Of course we did," Sonia insisted as I walked to get more wine glasses. Each of them gladly accepted their drinks as they watched me. "So do you want to tell us what happened, or do you want me to guess? Because I feel like I'll be really good at that game," she warned. 

I sighed, setting my glass down on the center coffee table. "It's just- I know that we didn't leave on the best terms, but ever since I came back, Raihan has been acting hot and cold toward me. There are points that make me think that nothing changed between us, that we're still those friends from the trials. Then, there are other times where he seems like he hates me."

"Okay, I'm confused. I thought everything went well tonight. When you two danced together, you were actually smiling and laughing. What happened?" Nessa questioned.

"Scarlet," I sighed. 

The Water Leader’s eyes widened as her drink lowered. "You mean the Scarlet from our trials, the Mayor of Hammerlocke?" I nodded. 

"What about her? I thought she was sweet." Bea questioned.

I couldn't help the snort that came from my nose. "Yeah she's really sweet when she's talking about how I should have stayed away longer and how she'll just have to, and I quote, just deal with me." All three seemed confused and shocked.

"She actually said that to you?" Nessa gasped. "That doesn't sound like her," her head shook. 

"That doesn't sound like the Scarlett you know, but to me, she's just the same. For some reason, I've always brought out this evil side of her. Maybe it's because I just see right through her bullshit stories and fake smiles, or maybe she genuinely hates me." A laugh escaped my lips. "Or maybe it's both."

"Okay, start from the beginning," Bea's eyes narrowed as her brows furrowed.

“How far?” I half-joked, earning a weak glare from the pokemon professor. I sighed, looking down at my drink. “Okay, probably like you guys, I was around 18 when I first saw him,” I began, watching as each of them leaned in with interest. It was almost amusing. “It was before we were all called into the Opening Ceremonies as new trainers. I was still shocked at how easily Leon had tricked my mom into letting me enter, still shocked that my mom had given me a pokemon of my own. Leon, Sonia, and I had just spent a week in the Wild Area since Leon insisted on getting to Motostoke by foot instead of by train, and I was exhausted. The room was packed with challengers and Sonia had wanted to play a little game she liked to call, ‘who’s the cutest.’”

The redhead in question ducked her head into her drink, “Hey I was a teenager and hadn’t seen any boys outside of Postwick and Wedghurts,” she softly argued. 

“Anyway,” I snorted, continuing my short. 

_“Oh, what about that one?” Sonia bounced in her seat. “He’s cute,” she cooed, nudging my shoulder. My eyes followed her line of sight to an older trainer with long blue hair and a dark leather jacket. He was muscular and I could tell he knew what he was somewhat doing since he had six balls on his belt and a number on the back of his jacket. My head tilted, noting that Sonia wasn’t completely wrong for once. He was cute, but the tough guy aesthetic was not my type. “Or maybe that guy,” she excitedly giggled, pointing out a nerdy guy with glasses, khaki pants, and suspenders. Half of me was beginning to think that she was just naming off random guys to see what my type was. I shorted and shook my head. She pouted. “Oh come on, he‘s nerdy and we all know that nerds are sweet.”_

_“But not nearly as exciting,” I countered. “If Raymond and Travis are anything to go off of, they’ll stick to rules and never want to venture outside of town.”_

_Now it was time for Sonia to snort and roll her eyes at me. “This coming from the girl that Leon literally had to drag out of her room when we were 12 because a Noivern scared her.”_

_“Oh come on, those things are scary,” I slapped her shoulder. “Dragons are unpredictable; loyal, but unpredictable and powerful.”_

_“Okay, then what is your type? Leon?” she challenged._

_“Oh Arceus no,” I tried not to gag at the thought._

“Hey, I had to know if you were competition,” the redhead attempted to defend herself. 

My head shook as my brows rose and my lips spread into a grin. “Oh please, you didn’t have a crush on him until he saved you from the Obstagoon,” I countered.

Her eyes narrowed on me and I shrugged. “I hate how much you know,” she grumbled into her drink. I only giggled before continuing. 

_“Okay, then who?” she challenged._

_I sighed, obviously walking into her trap. My eyes scanned the large room, finding trainers of all ages. Some were new but some I recognized from previous trials. There were multiple colors of eyes and hairstyles. All were different, but none really caught my eye. None, until him. From first glance, he looked around Leon’s height with a nice build. He had a bright orange hat on top of his head and a dark blue jacket with black sports pants and tennis shoes. He grinned at his playful Trapinch and I could see his sharp teeth. His eyes were a stunning blue that shined in the sunlight that barely streamed into the crowded room. I couldn’t help but watch as he talked to the little pokemon, feeding it a berry._

_“Ooh, looks like someone caught your attention,” Sonia cooed beside me._

_“Who’s got Alice’s eye?” Leon asked as he walked up to us._

_“No one,” I quickly responded, feeling a bit warmer than I had been moments ago. “Did you finally decide on a number?”_

_“Yep,” he proudly proclaimed, showing us his new jersey. I had to physically restrain my eyes so they wouldn’t roll out of my head._

_“Number 1, really?” Sonia grinned beside me. Leon had to look away, mumbling something about it being the perfect number as soon as he became the Champion._

_I had to laugh. “Lee, you do realize that everyone else in here is shooting for the top, right?”_

_“Yeah, so?” he challenged._

_“So, I’m not going to let you beat me now that you tricked my own mother into letting me do this, not to mention all of the hard work you did tricking me of all people. He grinned, but before he could say anything, the attendants began to usher us into the locker rooms._

_The girl’s locker room was big but cramped with how many trainers there were. I barely had time to change before I was being ushered to the large center room that connected the two locker rooms. My eyes scanned over the hoards of challengers, but there was no Sonia or Leon yet. My sigh came out shaking as I searched again, finding an empty seat. Since Pokemon were allowed, I was quick to bring my new eevee out. With one look at me, she curled up on my lap, soothing my shaking leg and sweating palms. She helped a bit, but my heart still raced like a Boltund. There were so many people with the same dream. I never wanted to be the Champion, but I also never gave up, and once challenged, I never lost. Still, what if Leon and Sonia left me, what if I was too weak?_

_“You okay?” Leon’s voice caught my attention._

_“Yeah,” I sighed, giving him a fake smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”_

_“Not quitting are you?”_

_“After all the work you did to get me here, never,” I shook my head with a slight laugh. “But-” I paused, “but what if I’m not good enough?”_

_“Then you’re not good enough,” he shrugged. “Who cares?” he laughed. “One of the reasons I talked you into this is so that you could have fun and not be stuck in our small little town for the rest of your life.” a small smile began to spread across my lips. “I mean, I’m pretty sure Sonia is more interested in studying pokemon than battling with them, but she’s here with us. The point is to have fun and do your best. Besides,” he grinned, nudging my shoulder, “if anyone is going to be the new Champion’s rival, it's going to be you.”_

_“I guess,” I laughed, noting the redhead that was scanning the groups of people for us. “And I would hate to miss all of your awful attempts at flirting with Sonia,” I teased. Now it was his turn to drop his smile, scowling as his cheeks reddened. I could tell he wanted to reply with something, but, once again, he had no chance._

_“Hey guys,” Sonia glowed as she joined us. “Wow, there are so many people in here. Kinda puts things in perspective for you, huh?”_

_At that point, I had no idea how well I would do, but Leon was right, I had to make the best out of this adventure. So, for the next few weeks, we hopped between the Wild Area to train and the next gym._

_It wasn’t until we were training to beat Kabu that we saw him again. Leon had been so adamant about training with or without the snowstorm. Sonia and I thought that he was insane, but we set up camp in a nearby cave nonetheless and made dinner. When he was finally done, Leon came in and scarfed down two plates of curry, and Charmeleon had two of his own. I remember the three of us around the fire, chatting and laughing when Yuki picked her head up and looked toward the cave entrance. After a moment, she jumped off my lap and ran to the entrance. She kept looking back at us, so I finally got up with my blanket and went to see what was wrong._

_As soon as I saw the dark shadows in the snowstorm, I ran out to help. He was only a few yards away, but it felt like years before I finally reached him. He was wearing the same orange cap and black pants, but his blue jacket was bundled in his arms, hiding something, but leaving him in a short-sleeved shirt. Without a second thought, I draped my blanket over his bare shoulders and helped him to the cave. I remember his blue eyes weakly looking up at me as a small thank you shivered on his lips. When we finally made it back to the cave, Sonia and Leon had helped him to the fire, but I didn’t let go. It wasn't until his second bowl of curry that he finally spoke up._

_"Thanks, I really needed that," he sheepishly grinned, his eyes concentrating on the bundle in his arms._

_"Oh, does your Trapinch want some too? Or does it need healing?" The words came out before I realized it. My cheeks tingled as his eyes shot up to meet mine, his brows furrowed._

_"How did you know I had a Trapinch?"_

_"Oh, I- uh I saw you two at the opening ceremonies." The explanation came out oddly, making Sonia roll her eyes and hold in a chuckle, but he still nodded. "So, does it need help?" My hand gestured to the bundle once again._

_"Oh- uh," his head shook and he started to unwrap the pokemon. "It's not really my Trapinch, it's a Silicobra I found earlier today."_

_"Silicobra?" Leon's voice popped in as the sand snake was shown fast asleep. "I thought they were only on route 6."_

_The blue-eyed boy nodded. "They're supposed to, but when I was walking in the Giants Seat, he slithered out and looked so sad."_

_"So then why haven't you caught him yet? I mean, it would certainly be warmer in a Pokeball," Sonia brought up, making the boy cringe slightly._

_"I-uh, I may have run out of pokeballs," he sank against the wall._

_I had to lightly smile and shake my head. I heard Sonia snort as Leon continued to chat with the new guy about his pokemon and the trials so far. I spun easily on my feet and turned to my bag, pulling out a single Pokeball. When I turned back to face them, I caught a pair of crystal blue eyes locked on me curiously._

_"Here," I simply offered, holding the Pokeball out to him. "I always have extra because Leon here never has enough." My eyes quickly shifted to the purple-haired boy next to me, who rolled his eyes and shook his head._

_"Don't blame me for wanting to do as much training as I can," he replied._

_"Yeah, so much so that you're always in a rush," Sonia chuckled. "We can't get you to sit down for five minutes."_

_"I'm the exact same way," the blue-eyed boy chuckled, splitting my lips into a small smile. His laugh was contagious to say the least and I found my chest tighten as he smiled up at me. Our eyes connected as he took the Pokeball from my hand, our fingertips brushing as he offered a 'thank you.' I watched as he gently tapped the pokemon on the head with the ball, making it vanish in a red light. The ball pulsed twice before it clicked. "Looks like I officially have a Silicobra," he grinned. "By the way, I'm Raihan," he stuck his hand out toward me._

_"Alice," I shook his hand before glancing up at the other two. "And this is Leon and Sonia," I gestured to each._

_"Nice to meet you guys." His smile had been so warm that night, it made my heart skip when his eyes landed on me, staying on me for a few moments longer than normal._

_I thought he would be gone in the morning once the snowstorm stopped, but he stayed. I made breakfast for all of us while Raihan and Leon battled, and Sonia looked around the area. After a big lunch and a few more battles between the four of us, we were off to Motostoke. Surprisingly, he had already gotten his badge, but he still stayed. From then on, he was a regular member of our group. And from that day forward, my crush began._

_Each time I watched him battle, I was left breathless. His and Leon's battles were always so close. And when I battled him, I found myself thinking on my feet a lot more. He constantly changed his strategies, still finding the best for his growing team, but also the best that would work out with any challenge._

_He was smart and charming, constantly wearing that suave and powerful grin. He was caring and funny, always making jokes, but becoming serious once it came to a battle. By the time I actually realized that I had a crush, it was too late._

_I had been out trying to catch an Applin all day, and I was exhausted, but I was determined. I wanted a Flapple before my battle with Melony. I knew that Leon had just wanted to head to Cichester, but he still supported me, and the same went with Sonia, who had already dropped out of the trials in order to study the pokemon we ran across._

_"Arceus, why is it so hard to catch a small little apple pokemon," I grumbled, plopping down on the hotel bed._

_"Well they are very shy creatures," Sonia offered, looking up from her phone. "You still going out tomorrow?" She asked._

_"I don't know," I sighed. "I mean, I really want one, but I don't want to keep Rai or Leon from the 6th gym."_

_"I wouldn't worry too much about them," she replied with a wave of her hand. "They both understand wanting a certain pokemon. They won't fault you for that."_

_"Yeah, I guess," I mumbled, rolling over to my stomach. "I just-I don't want-" My eyes shot to the door as a gentle knock echoed through the room. "Who is it?" I called out. No answer. My face turned to look at Sonia, who had an equally as confused look, though she just shrugged and got up, heading to the door._

_"That's weird," I heard her say after she opened the door. Another moment passed and she walked in with a pink Pokeball in her hand, sweetly wrapped with a red ribbon with a small note hanging from it._

_"Who's your admirer?" My lips spread into a grin, thinking it was from Leon._

_"Not for me," she shook her head, holding the ball out for me. Curiously, I took it. "There was no one in the hall, but this was at the door," she explained._

_My cheeks began to tingle as my eyes roamed around the pink ball. "A love ball?" I whispered, but apparently Sonia heard since she nodded with a grin. My fingers drifted across the short note. My name was on one side while six short words decorated the other. "For the Applin of my eye," I read, my cheeks growing warmer as I slid the bow off. Sonia squealed happily as a red light shot out before me, leaving a small red apple pokemon on my bed. Its eyes looked up at me and it shook. "Hey, hey, its okay little one," I cooed, holding my hand out for it. It seemed skeptical at first, but when I smiled gently at it, it took a hop forward, sniffing my hand._

_"Oh she's so cute," Sonia squealed, making the pokemon jump and hide under my pillow. "Oops, sorry," she sheepishly sat back on her bed._

_After that, the conversation turned to the mysterious person who gave me the pokemon, the possibility of Leon, Raihan, or another random trainer coming to the redhead's mind. I knew that it wasn't from Leon. I knew he already had feelings for Sonia, and he would never leave me such a message. It could be another random trainer, after all, we had met many and there were some that seemed to want to talk to me more than Leon, Sonia or Raihan. For some reason, the idea of Raihan giving me an Applin, whether or not he knew about the legend, sent Butterfree flying in my stomach. I fell asleep that night, dreaming of how he would confess. Would he blush and stutter over his words, or would he sweep me from my feet?_

_Unfortunately, I would never know, because we met Scarlet the very next day. She had been surrounded by a bunch of Blipbugs and Leon and Raihan had rushed to help. Though Charizard had done most of the work, Scarlet had thrown herself at Raihan and claimed that he was her hero. I knew right off that bat that she was an attention seeker. She was a princess that got anything she wanted, and she wanted Raihan. She pushed herself into our group and practically spent every moment around him, and he didn't seem to mind. Every time I tried to talk to him, she would squish between us and cut me out. She trained with him, never giving him a challenge with her ghost and psychic pokemon, and she constantly criticized what I did. If I slaved over the food, it was always too salty or too sweet, too hot, or too sour. And when I suggested that she show me how she likes it cooked, she would scoff and tell me that she couldn't possibly teach me the right way to cook. The thing that bugged me was that she was always smiled and laughed around the others. Any bad thing she said to me were away from anyone else's ears._

_She was a pain in my ass, but everyone else seemed to love her, so she stayed and I kept my mouth shut for as long as I could. But what was worse was the looks I would get from Raihan. He always had an apologetic smile when Scarlet would but into our conversations or tear him away from me. There were even times I would catch his glance before he would turn away. It still gave me hope that maybe, just maybe he was only putting up with Scarlet. Maybe he was the one who gave me the Applin, and maybe he did have feelings for me. But that hope was extinguished one night when we were camping._

_We had just gone against the 7th_ _gym leader and had a full day of training. A few other trainers had joined us for the night._

“Hey that was us,” Bea grinned. “but I don’t get it. You two seemed to get along so well, and every time I saw Rai, he was looking at you. So what happened?”

“Now that I think about it, you did seem more glum the morning after. What happened?” Nessa wondered, Sonia nodding with.

“I overheard something I shouldn’t have,” I confessed, lowering my head. 

_Even with the long day that we had, I still couldn’t sleep. I laid awake in my tent, listening to the pokemon around us, trying to get back to sleep, but I couldn’t. There was something that kept me up and I didn’t know what. I don’t even know what time it was when I heard the voices._

_“You can’t tell me that she means nothing to you,” Leon’s voice came._

_“She’s my friend, of course, she means something to me,” Raihan’s voice answered._

_“Yeah, but, I mean more than a friend,” Leon insinuated. “I mean, I see that way you look at her.”_

_“Dude, that’s nothing. She and I are just friends,” Rai insisted. “Alice is just a friend, nothing more.”_

_“But you want her to be?” My heart leaped, pounding as it waited for the answer._

_“No,” his voice was low, but I could still hear the words that cut right through me. “Alice is just a friend.” He repeated the words before they faded away. I didn’t sleep for the rest of the night._

_The morning wasn’t much better. As I quietly made breakfast with Sonia, I could spot Leon, Bea, Nessa, Milo, and Zack._

“Zack,” Bea sighed, “Now what’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. He was one of the many guys that I knew had a crush on you.”

My eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t I hear about any of it?”

“Because Raihan scared him too much, so the poor thing never made a move,” Nessa chuckled. “It was the same with Roy and Lucas. They both thought you were cute, but never made a move because of Rai.”

My jaw dropped at that. “So even though I was nothing more than a friend to him, he still kept guys away from me?” I seethed.

“Oh honey, you were never just a friend to him,” Nessa chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. “What he said that night was a bold ass lie. He was probably too shy to admit it to the one guy who might have been closer to you than he was.”

My head shook and I sighed deeply, “Anyway, I hadn’t seen Raihan or Scarlet since the night before and lunch was ready.”

_“Hey Al, can you go get Rai for me,” Sonia’s voice came beside me._

_“Sure,” I mumbled._

_“Great,” she clapped her hands together. “He should be training around the corner,” she pointed around the cliff where there was a small lake._

_Brushing my hands on my towel, I made my way over to the lake, ready to just say that lunch was ready and leave. Too bad I froze right when I saw him. A breath caught in my throat and tears stung my eyes as I watched Scarlet press against him, her arms wound around his neck as his hands went around her waist. His back was against a rock, but he was smiling, grinning really. Their lips moved against one another, each second tearing my heart more and more, but I couldn’t look away. I knew that he didn’t feel the same about me, so why did it hurt to see him with her? Why did bile rise in my throat and why did tears threaten to burst from my eyes. He wasn’t mine. It wasn’t like he was cheating on me, so why? Finally, after what felt like an eternity of standing frozen, I found my voice._

_“Lunch is ready,” I quickly said before turning to run. There was a gasp, then I heard him call my name, but I still ran. I still ignored him the rest of the day and stayed quiet, only nodding or shaking my head to answer questions. As soon as dinner was over, I was back in my tent, waiting till I knew everyone was asleep so I could take a walk and finally let the tears free._

_Two days later, we had each beaten the last gym leader and were on our way to the semifinals. I was talking to him, which was good, but neither of us spoke about that morning or why Scarlet seemed to have grown a more deadly glare that she always kept pinned on me. We were talking, but we weren’t back to normal, not by a long shot. Conversations were awkward and short, and even our pokemon seemed to have caught the tension. Soon enough, it was time for the semi-finals._

_It was easy enough to win against Zack and Nessa._

“I resent that comment,” Nessa’s jaw dropped, but she still laughed.

“I call it as I see it,” I teased, making her roll her eyes. “Fine, fine,” I held my hand up.

_I had already made it past Zack and Nessa, but I still had to face off against one more. For the results so far, it would either be Leon, who had easily defeated Milo, or Raihan, who demolished Scarlet. I had to admit, it was entertaining seeing her fall so hard, but I was curious as to why Raihan’s style changed. It went from calculated to emotional. There was a snarl behind his infamous grin and anger in his determined eyes. Too bad Scarlet couldn’t see it until it was too late. I shook my head, willing my thoughts to go anywhere but there. I had a match to prepare for and I would fight to the end. And I did, somewhat. Leon and I had been neck and next, each down to our last pokemon when I caught sight of cold blue eyes in the stands. His eyes were on me and my chest sunk. The warm blue had frozen over, leaving them hard and unreadable. I noticed too late that I had given Leon the upper hand. Before any words could leave my lips, my last pokemon was down and I had lost. I cursed myself for losing focus, for getting so emotional about something so stupid, but I couldn’t show any regret now. Instead, I forced a smile and met Leon in the middle, shaking his hand._

_“You okay?” he mouthed._

_I forced my head to nod and he left it alone, being escorted to the other side to heal his pokemon and to start the first match of the finals. As soon as I entered the locker room, I changed, making sure I had my newly healed pokemon on my belt and left without a word. I thanked my lucky stars that the Wyndon Stadium was in repair, causing the finals to be held in Hammerlock. It gave me an easy escape to the Wild Area, where I knew I would be able to be alone for the time being. I had to figure out what to do._

_Too bad I wasn’t alone. Raihan had apparently seen me leave and decided to follow me. I couldn’t even call out one of my pokemon before he cornered me with a sneer. His eyes looked like they would shoot daggers at me and his chest puffed while his teeth pressed together._

“He called me names and told me I couldn’t do anything right, as well as many other things that I don’t care to repeat. Then, he just left. I didn’t know what to do. I was frozen in my spot and I couldn’t breathe. I was prepared for him to tell me that he didn’t have feelings for me, I was even prepared for him to tell me that he loved Scarlet instead. But I was not prepared for him to tell me that I disgusted him, repulsed him and that his life would be better without me. I didn’t know what to do, so I cried. I ran to the nearest cave and cried, and I didn’t get back to the hotel till after sunset. And when I got back to my room, I booked a ticket for Johto and went to bed.” 

“Girl,” Nessa whispered, her voice filled with sadness. “I had no idea.”

“Me either,” Bea agreed. Sonia stayed quiet, her brows furrowed, as if in thought.

I nodded. “Two days later, I had said my goodbyes to you all, told you to call, and that I would call all of you. Then I was on a plane heading to a new region where I started the new chapter in my life.” 

“So Rai was the reason you left?” Sonia questioned. 

I nodded. "I already knew that I wanted to travel for a bit if I didn’t become champion, but that was going to be years from then. What Rai said to me was the explosion that set everything off." I paused. “Anyway,” I sighed, putting on a smile and taking a sip of my drink, “That’s my story.” I took a deep breath, looking at each of them. 

“I can’t believe Rai would say something like that,” Bea gawked.

“I know, it shocked me too,” I told them. Sonia looked divided, her eyes narrowed on her drink as if she was thinking back on something to try and work it out. At one point, she opened her mouth to say something, but shook her head. 

“No, I mean everyone could tell that he was head over heels for you,” Nessa chimed in. “When you left, it tore him apart. It just doesn’t make sense that he would turn the switch so fast and say that he was repulsed by you.”

“Well, Scarlet must have gotten to him or something,” I shrugged. “Anyway, that’s what happened and now, I get so confused by him because there are times that he seems to care about me, then he switches and acts like I’m public enemy number one. I can’t- I just don’t get him anymore.”

“Oh honey, you can bet that we’ll have a talk with him,” Nessa promised, jolting my nerves.

“No,” I told them. “I don’t want you guys getting involved in this. It’s a me and him problem, not yours.” Sonia looked ready to argue, but I held my hand up. “I swear to Arceus that if any of you try anything, I will give you such a cold shoulder that it’ll make my ice pokemon scared.” That seemed to keep them quiet. Too quiet almost, but I sighed and shook my head. 

"So, I don't know if I should ask or not," Nessa began slowly, "but have you ever had any-" she paused, "intimate relationships?" Sonia almost spit out her drink as wine sucked into my lungs. My cheeks began to tingle from insinuation. 

"Yes Nessa," I couldn't help but laugh after the fit of coughs. My answer seemed to shock them. Their eyes blinked at me, jaws hanging open, waiting for me to continue. "How much do you guys know about the other gym leaders?" I questioned.

"We know who each other are and we all get together for the gym conference each year, why?" Bea spoke.

"Do you guys know Roark from Sinnoh?" Sonia's head tilted as Nessa and Bea squealed. "Well, I kinda dated him for a few months after his Cranidos accidentally attached me," I lightly winced, reaching up to touch my scar. "He had been practicing a move and it hit me, cutting my forehead and almost breaking my leg. When he found me, Roark took me to his house and healed me up. We got along really well and since this was a year before he became a gym leader, I helped him train. He helped me catch Giz and- things happened." I could feel my cheeks tingle slightly at the memory of the dorky and strong Rock leader. My head shook. "But I had to leave after a year to keep traveling. And it worked out for him because he found his childhood crush again. Last time I heard from him, he said he was going to propose." 

"Was he good?" Bea windered at the edge of her seat.

"It was the first time for both of us," I laughed. "But yeah, he was really good."

"Anything else?" Nessa asked.

"After that, I had a one night stand, and something that lasted less than a week but nothing more." I paused, "Unless you want to count the drunken make-out session I had with Volkner where he stopped me halfway through and apologized that he was already in love with someone else," I snorted. 

"Ouch, sorry girl," Nessa winced.

I shrugged. "I wasn't really his type anyway." 

"So who is his type," Sonia asked. "What girl caught his eye?"

"No girl, his friend Flint from the Sinnoh Elite Four." I took a sip of my wine as their jaws dropped. "I helped them get together, actually. It was so sweet and romantic, but they want to keep their relationship out of the news for a while."

Bea squealed a laugh.

  
  



	9. Letters and Interviews

The girls were gone by the next night and Gordie had to fly out the next day. In the following months leading up to the opening ceremony, Melony had begun to visit the gym less and less, while my work grew more and more. There were some days where I had to lock myself in my office in order to get all of my work done. Only being freed when there was a trainer asking for a recommendation. Of course, I knew that recommendations were part of my job, allowing Circhester trainers to compete in the Gym Challenge, but I never knew how many asked the gym leaders. There was no limit to how many I could hand out, but I still had to test each one to make sure they would be able to survive in such a harsh challenge. Trainers had to have at least 1 pokemon and have the basic knowledge of type advantage, battle skills, and cooking as well as medical training. After all, they would have to be able to treat their wounded pokemon, as well as themselves when out in the vast Wild Area, and be able to feed their team and use their team to fend off unwanted wild pokemon. In order to ensure they had the knowledge needed, Melony and Gordie had set up a test that included all of the above. There was a quiz on pokemon, a short cooking test to show that they knew the basics, and a battle after. I never had any battle myself, only each other or one of my trainers, if there was only one. With the hundred or more trainers that came in, only three ended up getting a recommendation.

“Hey Boss,“ a voice knocked at my open door, “you have new trainers that want letters,” Lewis reported with a gentle smirk. Lewis was an odd one for sure. He loved the rush of battling himself, but when he watched, he didn’t watch for the winner, he watched for the loser. He had said something about learning from their mistakes, but it seemed more like he liked watching people lose. 

I nodded and stood, my chair sliding back as I stretched. “Do they each have a pokemon?” I questioned as I walked toward him, continuing into the hall. 

He nodded. “Adam Rodgers, age 18, has a Roggenrola. Steven Smith, 18, has a Rolycoly. And Cassandra Von Nuvel has a Noibat.”

“Powerful pokemon if they train them correctly,” I noted. “So do they know their basics?”

He nodded again. “Each passed the quiz and cooking segments and are ready to battle.”

“Good. I’ll have the two rock types face-off, then have Cassandra battle you. Sound okay?"

“You know I've been itching for a battle,” he chuckled.

“Just go easy on her,” I ordered. “We don’t want to deter them.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he saluted as the doors opened to the field. 

In the center of the Field, Liana stood with the three kids. One of the boys had spiky green hair and purple eyes, the other had dark brown hair the swept up in the front and gold eyes. They were both tall, as tall as I was, and they were as fit as Leon and Raihan were in the beginning. I could tell that they would give a good battle. The girl, on the other hand, made me freeze, if only for a moment. Her skin was tan and her eyes were as blue as Raiahn’s. She was petite and delicate, almost like I had been in the beginning, but what caught my eyes the most were those blue eyes. They reminded me so much of the Dragon Trainer’s. Luckily, I tore my eyes away and looked toward Liana. 

“So, these are the trainers?” she nodded. “Well, well done on completing the first tests.”

“Yeah, what’s up with those?” the green-haired boy, Steven, laughed.

“Well, since there were a number of injuries last year, the council had decided to put up more rules regarding who gets to compete. Part of competing is knowing type advantages. As for the others, those are basic necessities. When you’re in the Wild Area, you might be there for days at a time, maybe even weeks training your pokemon to be the best. So, you need to know how to sustain your own strength as well as your pokemon’s, and that includes knowing how to cook and how to heal. Does that answer your question.”

“Yes ma’am,” he mumbled.

“Good,” I lightly smiled. “So, Adam and Steven, why don’t you show me what you got. I want you to battle each other.”

“Doesn’t that mean that one of us won’t get a letter?” Adam questioned.

My head shook. “Just because one of you will lose, doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough for the Gym Challenge. In fact, I know that Chairman Leon gave both the champion and his own bother letters after they battled against one another. He saw potential in both of them, and both made it to the semi-finals, one even becoming the Champion herself. So if I see potential in you, then I’ll give a letter to you. So, you two ready for a battle?”

“What about me?” a quiet voice asked. I smiled softly at the young girl. 

“I’ll have you battle against one of my trainers, but don’t worry, they’ll go easy on you.” She only nodded, her hands clasped tightly by her chest. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine,” I promised, lightly placing my hand on her shoulder. “Now,” I snapped up, looking at the boys. “Who’s ready to battle?” In that instant, they both looked determined. In that instant, I knew they would be getting letters no matter who won. At the end, when the dust had settled, Adam’s Roggenrola claimed the victory. Both boys looked toward me and I grinned, my arms crossing over my chest. “I’ll give my answer after Cassandra has her battle,” I told them. They each nodded enthusiastically and I told Liana to heal their pokemon. “You ready Cassandra?” I asked as she took the field with Lewis.

Like the other, it was over within a few moves with Lewis claiming victory with his Snowrunt. “Great battle Cassandra,” Lewis complimented.

“Agreed,” I nodded. “Well, I think I’ve seen enough. I will happily give all three of you letters, you just have to follow me to my office and-” 

“I can’t-“ Cassandra’s shaking voice drew our attention. “I just can’t- I’m sorry,” she shook her head before running off the field.

“Cass, wait,” Adam called after her. I stopped him, grabbing his shoulder. His eyes looked up at me, worried and sad. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll go find her and talk to her,” I promised before looking toward Liana and Lewis. “Can you two take them to my office. I’ll be there right after I find Cassandra.” They both nodded, telling the boys to follow them. I watched as they left through the doors, watched as they closed behind them, then I started to walk toward where Cassandra ran off to. It wasn’t long before I found her in the girl’s locker room, her knees tucked into her chest as she sat against the lockers, her hands over her face. I left out a gentle sigh as I sat beside her. “You wanna talk about it?”

“No,” she whimpered. 

I nodded, “Okay, then how about I tell you a story?” I asked, looking down at the young girl. She stayed silent, but her sniffing had ceased. “I never wanted to go on the Gym Challenge,” I confessed, "I was tricked by my best friend. He even convinced my mom to get me a pokemon of my own. After all, what would a trainer be without her pokemon?” I slightly laughed. “But the thing is after I entered, I never did it to become the champion or a gym leader, or any of that. I did it to spend time with my two best friends, Leon and Sonia.” I smiled as her bright eyes started to look up at me. “Through the gym challenge, I met a lot of people. Some became my friends, like Nessa and Bea, Milo and-“ I paused, taking a deep breath, “And Raihan. Others were people in passing. But all held something I could learn, battle strategies or not. Some stayed and fought till the end, others dropped out because of one thing or the other. Sonia actually dropped out to study pokemon and the legends of Galar.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” she quietly asked.

“Because I have a feeling that you’re feeling the same way I did when I first entered. One or both of the boys might have convinced you, but you don’t think you’ll be good enough, or you’re not sure it’s what you want to do. Is that right?” 

She nodded. “They’re my best friends and they told me that they wanted me to join them, said it would be fun and that I could even be the champion someday.”

“But you don’t want to be the champion?” She shook her head. “Do you want to travel? Get out of Circhester?” she nodded. “Do you like battling?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s okay, I guess. I like Pokemon.”

“So then let’s make a deal, kay? I’ll give you the letter and you can try out the challenge. And if you don’t like it, then you can drop out. I can even set you up with the PokeCenter in town if you want to go into medicine or the Breeding Center. Whatever you want, I can help. Okay? The worst thing that’ll happen is that you’ll make friends and make memories.”

“But Steven and Adam will be disappointed-“ she lowered her head. 

“No, they won’t,” I told her. “As long as you give it a try, I’m sure that it’ll be fine. Besides, you don’t have to be in the challenge to travel with them.”

She was silent for a moment, then she nodded. “Okay, I’ll try,” she softly smiled up at me.

“Good, now let’s go meet the others,” I held my hand out to her as I got up. With a giggle, she took it and stood.

“Um, Miss Alice,” She stopped, still holding onto my hand. “Why did you help me?”

“Well, it’s like I said, I was in your position when I started. But I’m glad I did because of all the people I met and all the memories I made. I think you’ll be the same way. I see strength in you. You may be unsure about what you want to do now, but once you decide, I know that nothing will stop you.” My head turned toward the door as she nodded. “That, and I fully expect you to give me hell when you reach this gym,” I grinned. 

“No pressure?” her eyes went wide.

I laughed. “No pressure at all,” I promised. Luckily, that made her laugh, and I could tell that she was ready to face the world. 

When we entered my office, the boys looked at her, worried, but she only gave them a smile and a nod before sitting beside them. With another look at the three, I handed them each their letters and told them to head to Motostoke.

“I expect to see you three in a few days,” I called after them as they exited. “Good luck,” I whispered as they vanished down the hallway. “Better start training your pokemon,” I suggested, giving Liana and Lewis a nod before leaving. My work was done for the day. 

True enough, I had seen the three in Motostoke, already signed up and headed to the gym for the Opening Ceremonies. Sadly, I couldn’t talk to them since I had to get to the panel interview and Sonia would have my head if I was late. 

“Just in time,” Madison sighed as I got out of the elevator. 

“Cutting it close, aren’t we?” Mark grinned teasingly. 

I shot him a soft glare. “Sorry, some of us actually have to travel farther than a few blocks to get to this place,” I replied with a chuckle. 

“I thought you were supposed to be here last night?” Madison questioned. 

I nodded. “Supposed to, but there were last-minute things I had to deal with at my gym,” I quickly explained. “Everyone else here?” I asked.

“They’re in the backstage area,” Mark answered as we reached a black curtain. 

“Girl, finally,” Nessa’s voice pounced on me as soon as I entered the back area. 

“Gym problems,” Mark quickly explained as he and Madison slid past us to speak with Milo. 

“Bout time,” Bea sighed as she walked up to us. “You ready girl, we go on in 5,” she warned.

“Yeah, I think so,” I shook off any doubt. “How bad can it be?” I shrugged.

“Very,” Bea crossed her arms over her chest. ”They’re like a flock of Mandibuzz, always waiting for someone to slip up.”

“Very reassuring,” I laughed, shaking my head. “Don’t worry, Melony prepped me on what’s going to happen.”

“Well, whatever she said is probably soft,” Bea laughed.

“Trust me, girl,” Nessa began, “You have to be prepared for anything. These reporters will pick you apart. They will question you about every good and bad thing, everything from where you grew up to rivalries. Any gossip they smell, they will dig for. They will use any ammo and dirt they have to get a rise out of you and to get the best story, but you cannot let them get under your skin.” As one of her hands was locked with mine, her other poked my chest. “Only give them the info that you want to give. But be careful what information you do give because they will dig further.” 

“Kill them with kindness,” Bea chimed in with a grin, fixing the strap on her glove. “But don’t worry, we’ll be there to help too.”

“And I’m guessing old, seasoned vets like you shouldn’t have a problem, huh?” I teased, making Nessa shoot me a half glare. 

I had to laugh as Bea lightly punched me in the arm. “Careful, you’re as old as we are.”

“I know,” I smiled. My eyes trailed to the currently empty table and a deep breath sucked into my lungs. 

“Time to get this thing started,” my eyes snapped to the side of the curtain where Leon and Raihan stood, both dressed in a nice button-up and slacks.”You guys all ready?” Leon questioned, looking over all of us. There was a moment of silence before he nodded and turned, walking on stage. I could immediately hear the click of the cameras and the reporters mumbling. My hand smoothed down my pencil skirt and my ice blue button-up, trying to calm the nerves that threatened to breakthrough. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll do fine,” a voice spoke beside me. My eyes snapped up to find Raihan looking down on me, a small smile on his lips.

My stomach twisted at how natural it all felt. “Stagefright, remember?” my lips quirked up slightly.

“Yeah, but you always got over that fear during battles.” Yeah, because he was there on my side. “I’ll be beside you the whole time,” he promised as if nothing had ever happened between us. How was he acting so natural about this?

“And now let's bring out our amazing Gym leaders,” Leon’s voice drew our attention to the stage. 

One by one, Leon introduced us and we smiled and waved as we took our seats. The questions had started out tame enough with our first pokemon and who gave us our letters, how we trained then vs now, and other quick questions. Then they started to become heavier. 

“Alice, sources say that you had the choice of becoming the Ice leader or the Fire leader. Why did you choose to become an Ice leader? Why come back to be a gym leader at all?”

I had to grin, looking straight over to Leon. “Well, much like our gym challenge, Leon was the one who actually called me and told me what was happening. He told me that Kabu did have two other people that could take over for him, but that Melony had only asked for me, which surprised me,” a chuckle slipped from my chest. "I guess that was part of the reason I became the Ice Gym leader, but Ice types have always interested me with their strength and elegance.”

Cameras clicked and reporters talked over one another until Leon pointed to a woman in the third row. “Emily Vickers of the Circhester Times, this is to all of the leaders, just a fun little question. Who do you think is the best looking Gym leader this year?”

“Tryin’ to cause a rift, huh, Emily?” Mark joked. Soft chuckles filled the room before he continued. “I guess I would have to say Nessa,” he looked over at the Water leaders. 

“Same,” Milo chimed in. I smiled, leaning back in my chair. Of course, Milo would say that. 

“Really, because I think you’re the cutest, Milo,” Nessa spoke with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. 

“Well, if we’re really getting into this, I’m going to have to say, Mark,” Bea chimed in with a chuckle. One after another, we answered, Marnie’s being Raihan, Bede admitting that I was his choice.

“Flattered,” I shot back with a playful wink. “As for me,” I paused. If I told the truth and said it was Raihan, the reporters would be on my ass, but if I chose something more playful that no one would expect, what could happen. “I think I would have to agree with Mark and Milo, Nessa is a model after all.” 

“Hey hey hey, I’m a model too,” Raihan tried to argue.

“Yeah for social media,” Nessa teased. “And what about you, Rai?” she grinned with a challenge.

Raihan only rolled his eyes before leaning forward for his own answer. “I’d have to say Alice here,” his eyes caught mine and my heart stopped. What? He had to be teasing me, right?

Not wanting to give the reporters too much ammo, I forced an eye roll and simply said, “flirt.” But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help the blush that crept on my cheeks.

“Alright, how about another question?” Leon laughed on the side. 

“This is also for all of the gym leaders. What would you tell any new trainers?” Once again, we went down the line, each of us answering as best as we could. “And you, Alice?”

To me, the answer was simple. “Have fun,” I simply answered. “Many trainers only have one chance, so make the most out of it. I may not have initially wanted to do the challenge, but when I did, I had the time of my life. Training and hanging out with friends, the rush of catching your first pokemon, and winning your first battle, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. And maybe battling isn’t for you, and that’s okay. I know plenty of people that dropped out because they found something they loved more, but they stayed with their friends till the end and ended up still having a great time. So I think my one piece of advice would be to have fun.”

“And on the opposite side, my piece of advice would be to never quit,” Raihan answered after a pause. “No matter how hard training or the battles seem, never give up.” His eyes seemed to pin on me as he continued. “If it’s important enough, never stop fighting for it.”

There were a few other questions that brought in our pokemon teams, our gyms, and other professional things, but once a reporter had asked Madison about her relationship status and Mark responded with, “she’s too young,” the can of worms was blown wide open. Suddenly, we were being questioned about previous battles, rivalries (specifically Bede’s with Gloria and Hop), and old flames. It was odd sitting beside Raihan as they asked him about all of his fans and even the Demon Mayor of Hammerlock. 

“Mayor Scarlet and I are only friends, nothing more,” he answered swiftly. 

“And what about you, Alice? Any special someone in your life?” a reporter asked. 

“Not at this moment,” I answered, catching the way Raihan shifted in his chair and the strain in his arm.

“Oh come now,” an older woman grinned, notepad in hand. “Melony had said during her banquet speech that you traveled with Leon and Raihan, you can’t tell us that there is nothing between any of you. And what of Champion Lance or Mark? Sources report seeing the two of you at a club together.”

“As I said, there’s no one in my life at the moment. Lance is an acquaintance that I met on my travels, and Leon is like a brother to me. And that source of yours must have also reported that it was all of us leaders at the club that night.”

“Yes, but you two were seen alone, outside,” she pestered.

“I can answer that,” Mark interrupted. “Alice was having a panic attack and I followed to make sure she was okay. Then we talked to each other for a few minutes and she left. There’s nothing to your story besides that.” That seemed to send even more questions our way, but they were soon silenced by a quick answer from Mark. “Alice and I are only friends,” he sternly told them. 

“Is that because you each have someone that already has your eye?” the same older woman questioned. I was starting to really not like her. “Alice, was that why you left in the first place? Was it an unrequited love or were you too upset about your loss against Leon?”

A huff escaped my lips as I forced a smile. “I’m not upset about my loss to Leon. He earned it through hard work and dedication. I left him an opening and he took it. I left because of personal reasons.” 

“Do you ever regret leaving?” someone from the audience asked.

“Sometimes,” I answered. “I missed a lot when I was traveling, but if I didn't leave, I wouldn’t be the trainer that I am today. I wouldn't have met the amazing people that I did and I wouldn’t have caught the pokemon that I have today, such as my Aurorus and Garchomp.”

“But what about the banquet?” the older reporter questioned. “You seemed very comfortable dancing with Raihan and Lance, and you even danced with Mark multiple times. How do you explain that?”

“If you also remember, I danced with practically every other guy there, as did many others. It was, after all, a dance. And like I said, I may have looked more comfortable dancing with Lance, Mark, and Raihan because they’re all close friends of mine,” I paused, trying not to see Raihan’s expression, “that’s all.” Cameras flashed and reporters once again talked over one another. My eyes pinned on the older woman, who seemed smug for some reason. With a breath, I held up a hand and silence fell over the room. “That’s all I’m going to answer on that subject. “

“Seems like you’re hiding something,” the older woman grinned, her pen to her pad. 

“I have nothing to hide,” I lied. “Anything else, ma’am?” she stayed silent. A small smile spread across my lips at her defeat, and at the petite Chichester reporter that raised her hand slowly. 

“Alice, is it true that you beat Raihan in a battle?”

Raihan snorted from beside me, a grin spread across his lips, showing his sharp teeth. “Wiped the floor with me the first time we battled at practice.” his eyes caught mine and I smirked. “But come finals, I won't lose.” he challenged. 

“Isn't that what you told Leon all those years? And yet you never beat him,” I teased, a glint in my eye. 

The rest of the interview went smoothly. There were a few more questions about our gyms and battle strategies. There was a question on if Gordie was going to come back, as well as Mark, Madison, and my own non-regional pokemon.

“And what about Kabu, Piers, Opal, and Melony? Will they still be assisting with the gyms this year?” one reporter asked. 

“I believe that all four will still be there to help us, if the time ever comes that we need them,” Mark answered. 

“Speak for yourself,” Marnie grumbled. “Piers is leaving it up for me to figure out” 

“Aw, don't worry, Bea, and I will be here to help,” Nessa chimed in, giving Marnie a grin. 

“Sounds like trouble,” Raihan joked. 

“Oh shush,” Bea, leaned over to lightly punch him in the arm. 

“Okay,” Leon chimed in with a laugh. “It’s almost time to wrap up, so are there any more questions?” hand shot up as cameras flashed. Leon only nodded before pointing to a young male in the crowd. 

“Alice, my sources say that you have a Flapple, the evolved from an Applin. Did you catch it yourself or was it a gift from someone special?”

“I believe that Alice has made herself clear-” Leon began.

“No, it’s okay, Leon,” I stopped him. “I did actually receive Applin from another person, but there was nothing romantic about the gesture.” I could feel Raihan tense beside me, though no one else would have noticed. 

After that, Leon had thanked everyone for coming but told them that Opal, Piers, Melony, and Kabu would be on the stage soon. “We have am Opening ceremony to get to, after all,” he gave his charming smile.

As soon as my feet hit the carpeted floor behind the curtain, I was enveloped by Melony’s arms. “You did marvelous, my dear,” she smiled. “Though I wonder why they focused so much on you,” she questioned, pulling away.

I shrugged. “Probably because Marnie and Bede are still too young to dig into their love lives and drama, Mark would chew out anyone that would question Maddy, and everyone else was more seasoned. I was fresh meat for them to pick apart.”

“Still,” Melony scoffed, “That older woman was barbaric asking so many questions and prying like she did.”

“She was only doing her job, Mel,” I reminded the former Ice leader. 

She sighed. “At least it’s all over,” she nodded before Kabu called her over. “Good luck at the Ceremony Dearie,” she smiled, hugging me quickly before leaving for the stage. 

Watching Melony join Kabu and the others, my hand brushed against Eve’s Pokeball. My mind rushed over all of the questions. If I had to be truthful if even to myself, I did leave because of an unrequited love, one that I was still sure was just that, unrequited. Wasn’t it? If it was, then why was Raihan acting so odd? Why was he flirting? Did he really think I was the most attractive? Or was he just playing with my emotions? He had made it painfully clear that Eve was a gift to me just so we could continue. And there _were_ other men out there besides him. Hell, if I got to know Mark more, I could grow feelings for him. I could even take Lance up on his offer for a date. So why was I so stuck on Raihan? 

“Seems like someone is deep in thought,” Leon’s voice pulled me out of my trance. 

My head shook as I looked up to meet his amber eyes. “Nothing to worry about,” I told him.

He hummed his hands, raising to his hips, a clear sign that he didn’t believe me. But he let it be. Sort of. “Don’t let the reporters get to you,” he offered a hand on my shoulder. “They just fish for the best story.”

I would have responded if not for Raihan walking up to us. “Yo, Lee, what’s up?” the Dragon Leader greeted. “Shouldn’t we be heading downstairs to get ready?”

"Oh yeah," Leon agreed, looking down at his watch. "Tell you what, you two go ahead, I need to talk to the others about something," Leon offered. My brows rose as I leaned to one side, my arms crossing across my chest. Apparently Raihan had the same thought since he too stayed in his place. "Don't worry, we'll be down in a few." He promised, but it did nothing for my suspicious mind.

"What are you planning?" I accused.

"Me, planning something? I could never," he chuckled, and for once I agreed with him.

"Okay, so what is Sonia planning?" Raihan asked before I could.

Leon sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Okay, okay, Sonia was planning on ambushing you two about how you skirted around certain questions. Nessa is holding her back for now, but you two should probably leave before she finds you." My eyes narrowed, but I sighed.

"You're a terrible liar," I shook my head before walking away. If Sonia had planned something there was no way of getting out of it. Sometimes, it was better to face the surf head-on instead of avoiding it, though I felt like it would be more like a hyper beam. Turning the corner, I stepped into the elevator, Raihan squeezing in before the doors closed. 


	10. A Ride Till the End

Raihan sighed, leaning his back against the wall. "We're being set up, aren't we?" His head was tilted up to the ceiling. 

"Yup," I plainly responded.

"So why are we just gonna take it?"

"Because it's Sonia and there's no way to avoid her plans," my head turned to face him, our eyes meeting. He nodded.

My palms began to sweat with each floor we passed. 50, 49, 48. I was about to release a sigh of relief when the elevator came to a jerking halt: Floor 13. 

My eyes closed momentarily before I looked toward the camera in the corner. “Sonia, this isn’t funny,” I snapped. No reply. “Sonia, I'm serious, we have to get to the Opening ceremony.”

“Oh relax,” the redhead's voice came over the speakers, “the Ceremony doesn’t start for another half an hour. Besides, even if it does start without you, this is way more important.”

“So you’ll have two of the high ranking gym leaders miss the opening ceremony for you to play games?” Raihan questioned, obviously as annoyed as I was.

“No, I want two of my best friends to make up already,” she grumbled. “Both of you dodged questions and we all know why except the two of you, so talk it out already so we can get rid of this awkwardness.”

“There is no awkwardness,” Raihan argued. “And I never avoided questions. I answered them as I always have.”

“Yeah, dodging questions,” Leon’s voice came in. “Rai, I know you. I know when you lie and I know when you hide things, and you were hiding things. You’re upset and we all know why, so just admit it and get it over with.”

A moment passed before I sighed, my head leaning against the cold metal wall. “He’s right,” I had to admit. Raihan quickly turned to face me, shock across his face. “They both are. Ever since I came back, ever since you saw me, things have been awkward between us. One moment, we’re fine and it’s like old times, but others, it seems like we’re strangers. Something obviously bothers you about me being here, so if you want, I can give up my title after this year and we don't have to see each other unless it’s necessary.”

For a moment, his face flashed with hurt and confusion. Then it turned to stone as his hands dropped to his side. “Is that what you want? For us to be like strangers?”

“Of course not,” I answered, my heartbreaking. “But it seems like you don't like me being here. I mean, you literally flew away on Fly the first time you saw me again, then you ignored me throughout the picnic, and we barely talked at the club. What do you think I’m supposed to think? Do you want me to leave?”

“I never wanted you to leave,” his eyes stared into mine and I almost believed him. “And don’t act like you’re all high and mighty in this. Ever since you got here, you've been flirting with just about every guy.” My eyes narrowed and my lips parted as I took a step back. “First Mark at the club, the Lance, then you act like me giving Eve to you was no big deal.”

"Because it wasn’t,” I argued. “You were the one that said giving her to me meant nothing. Purely from a friend to a friend, remember? For years, I wanted it to mean something, but it obviously meant nothing,” my arms crossed over my chest. My heels began to turn to face away from him, but I stopped myself and turned back to face him, pointing my finger at his chest. “And I was not flirting with Mark or Lance. I had a panic attack at the club and, as Mark said during the interview, he helped me and we talked. That’s it. And Lance, really, you think I would be into him? In case you didn't notice, I was thoroughly annoyed with him in the beginning. I have always told him that I wasn't interested, but he's the one who keeps flirting.”

“Well you seemed to be really close to him at the banquet, dancing and blushing-”

“I _had_ to dance with him, it was a banquet. And I was blushing because-” because we were talking about you and how I’ve had feelings for you for years, “because of something he said about someone else. He’s known for a while how I’ve felt about that someone else, but he still likes to flirt with me to get a reaction. There’s nothing romantic going on between us.”

“So basically he made you blush about talking about Leon?” he scoffed, crossing his own arms over his chest. His chuckle was dark and cold. 

“Leon? What the hell does Leon have to do with any of this?”

“Well you obviously have feelings for him since you two grew up together. But now you missed your chance because of Sonia,” he almost growled as he looked away. 

"Yes, Raihan, I grew up with Leon. That doesn't mean that I have or have ever had a crush on him. Growing up with him means that I got to see all of the good and bad things about him. I got to see his ridiculous superhero phase and his phase when he literally thought he was a Charizard. I got to see his procrastination and all the times he tried to ignore Hop, and all of the times he got lost in the Wooloo pen. Leon is like my brother. I have never had feelings for him."

"Then why were you flirting with him?" My brows furrowed as I watched him. "I saw you flirting with him before your match," my lips parted to ask what he meant, my mind wandering over those few moments Leon and I had before going out on the field. "I saw you wink at him." 

It was like glass had shattered around me. I froze, unable to fully wrap my mind around the insinuation. Finally, my throat let out a dry laugh as my hand raised to my head. "A wink," I repeated, "you stopped talking to me for 6 years because I winked at the guy that is practically my brother?" He stayed silent. I laughed again. "Okay, well since you never let me explain back then, allow me to now. I winked at Leon because we were teasing each other. I was teasing him about his crush on Sonia, and he was teasing me about my crush."

"So you did have a crush," he practically jumped in his accusation.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Raihan, I had a crush. I was a teenage girl with a crush," I scoffed. "Is that really all you heard? Is that all you wanted to hear, that I had a crush? Why does it even matter to you? It's not like you ever had feelings for me. You made that painfully clear when you kissed Scarlet, and when you cornered me in the wild area after my semi-finals match." 

His brows creased. "What are you talking about? I never kissed Scarlet and I never followed you to the wild area." He took a step forward, but I took a step back, my head shaking. My eyes began to mist and my jaw began to tremble. "Alice, I swear-" there was something vulnerable about his eyes. Maybe it was true, but maybe he was lying to cover his tracks. Maybe this was all a game to him. It didn't matter.

My heart broke even more as I drew up the courage to remind him. "Then I guess it was your evil twin that cornered me and told me that I would never be good enough. And it must have been your evil twin that told me that he never wanted to see me again and that the sight of a loser like me repulsed him." A single warm tear fell from my eye. 

"Alice, do you hear yourself? Do you really think that I would say any of that to you?" His voice was soft, laced with sadness. 

He tried to reach out to me again, but I stepped away. I knew that if I got caught in his arms, it would all be over. "6 years of silence showed me that you don't care." It was a simple statement, but I knew it cut deep. He stepped back, his lips parting and his fists clenching. When he didn't speak, I did. "Leon, can you please let us out?" I asked, turning toward the camera. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the elevator started to move again, and when it stopped once more, the doors opened, revealing our friends. They all had worried and sad faces, but I didn't care, I just walked past them and into the locker room. 

As we all waited in our uniforms no one dared to utter a single word to me. I expected Nessa or Bea to apologize, and in a way, they did through their worried glances. 

When the announcer came in, I lifted my head up and listened as he listed off the gym order. Milo was first, then Nessa, followed by Mark and Madison. Bea's would be fourth and Bede would be fifth. Marnie was switched to sixth and I was placed as the seventh gym, followed by Raihan as the final gym. As the new Chairman, Leon made a spectacle of bringing us out. When we stood on the field, I could feel Raihan's blue eyes flickering over to me, but I ignored it, choosing to focus on the fans and trainers. 

Before I left for Circhester, I could see the pain in Raihan's eyes. It almost made me stay, but I couldn't. I knew I wouldn't have challengers for a while, but I still had other duties to take care of. I had Pokemon and people to train, a town to save from a raging Abomasnow, and a difficult hotel manager to deal with. Melony had gushed about how well I fit into my role, but I still couldn't help but hate the way I left things. Leon, Hop, Sonia, Gloria, and the other gym leaders all visited for a day or two. Some came for training, some came to relax or for research. But there was still no Raihan. 

"You still love him, don't you?" Leon had asked one night.

"I never stopped," I admitted.

When Sonia had explained that Raihan had stayed with her and the others for Leon's champion match, I only nodded. Between the looks of pure confusion, frustration, and sadness, I could tell that he had no idea what I was talking about. That, and I knew neither he nor Sonia would lie about something like that. 

"Scarlet probably used one of her Pokemon on me," I guessed. My head shook as I thought of the possibility. 

“Do you really think she would do something like that?” Sonia softy questioned.

"I wouldn't put it past her," I answered, grinding my teeth. 

"She was always obsessed with him," Sonia muttered as she sipped her tea. "So now you know it wasn't him, do you think you can give him a chance, at least to apologize?"

My head shook. "That may have been her, but those six years were all him." 

He was the one who could have reached out to me, he was the one who had become as cold as Kyrugem. So why did I still love him? Because I knew he was as hurt as I was. Because I knew that we had both been played. 

No matter what it was due to, I still loved him. I still loved the passion that he had for battling and the love he had for his pokemon. I loved how he spent hours trying to find me the perfect Applin. I loved his warm hugs and that smirk of his. I loved his charm and his infectious laugh. I loved how he tried to act tough, but was scared of little Cuttieflies. I loved him, so why couldn't I bring myself to Hammerlock?

I sighed, running my hand through my damp hair. My eyes drifted closed as the steam of the gym's sauna swirled around me. Leon and Sonia had left a week before, and trainers had begun to trail into the city shortly after. I had seven back to back matches with trainers, none making it past me, but several coming close.

My aching muscles were eased by the bubbling water as the pounding in my head was eased. I didn't know how long had passed before I heard the spa door open. My eyes didn't bother to open, thinking it to be one of my gym trainers. Perhaps Lewis or Liana, or maybe Alexander or Michah. After the long day we had, I couldn't blame them. I could hear heavy footsteps, then feel the person enter. Then, there was silence. It was almost too odd of a silence to be one of my trainers. 

Slowly, my eyes began to peak. My breath hitched and my back flew back into the wall of the jacuzzi. My wide eyes were caught on eyes of crystal blue. His toned arms were folded across his bare chest and his lips were spread into a mischievous smirk. My eyes traveled down each of his muscles, stopping on his dark blue and deep red swim trunks before they flew back to his eyes.

"Ya know, for someone who loves the warmth so much, I can't help but wonder why you chose the ice gym?" His voice rumbled as he took one step into the water, then another, then sat on the edge, watching me. 

I gulped, forcing my eyes to stay in his and away from his chest. My head shook, trying to get me to concentrate. "I chose Circhester because I do love the snow." He hummed and nodded once, slipping the rest of the way into the water. "And what about you?" I held my head up. "Don’t dragons thrive in warmer temperatures?" This made him smirk. "Here to get intel on the trainers? Want to get ahead of the competitors?" He shook his head. "Then what? I seem to remember that when we were getting our badges, you swore up and down that you would never return." 

"I said I wouldn't come back unless I had a reason," he corrected. I hummed and nodded, almost rolling my eyes at the smile that parted my lips. 

"And, pray tell, what is your reason?"

"You," he simply stated. 

"Me?" The question was soft as my eyes locked onto his. My brows rose and my arms crossed over my chest, a shield from what was to come? 

He nodded. "You've been avoiding me. You've been ignoring my texts and calls."

"I've been busy," the words tumbled from my lips as I looked down. My hands twirled around one another. 

"Oh yes," he snorted out a light laugh. "A rampaging Abomasnow is very threatening." 

My eyes snapped up to his and my lips parted. "Raph and I can show you how threatening an Abomasnow can really be," I challenged. He held his hands up. “You're a gym leader too, you should know very well what that means." Then again, did he? After all, Hammerlock was a fortress city surrounded by tall and thick walls, deep moats, and multiple gates. It was, by all means, impregnable. 

"Yeah, something about protecting your town's people and stuff like that." He waved it off as if it was nothing. "You're strong, you can handle anything." We fell into silence as he ran his fingers through his dark locks. "Can I tell you a story?" His voice became soft and vulnerable.

I nodded. "You can always tell me anything."

He took in a deep breath, then began, his eyes locked on me. "When I first became a trainer, I thought that it was better to train alone, to _be_ alone. I had a dream and I was going to achieve it. It wasn't until the opening ceremony that I realized just how many people had that same dream. I was actually thinking of quitting right then and there because there was no way I could beat all of them. Then, I saw this petite girl before we all went onto the field. She seemed terrified as she held onto her eevee. I wanted to go over to her, to talk to her, to comfort her. But I didn't get a chance. As soon as my feet took a step, I noticed a purple-haired boy walk up to her. He said something and it made her laugh, and I couldn't help but smile. She went from this meek little girl to suddenly, full of radiance and confidence."

A shaking breath drew into my lungs as I listened. I clung to every word. 

"The next time I saw her was when I had stupidly gotten caught in a snowstorm." I smiled gently, remembering the night. "She had run over to me with a blanket and her eevee close behind her. She brought me to her camp and I stayed the night with her, the purple-haired boy, and their redheaded friend. During that time, she had somehow talked me into permanently joining their group," he chuckled and I smiled. 

"Probably my curry," I teased. “Your eyes used to glow when I was making it," I giggled.

"Oh it was definitely your curry," he grinned. "But it was also because I was already hooked on you. While Leon became my main rival, as time passed, you became more. You were my friend, but I knew I would do anything for you. It took me way too long to figure out my true feelings, and when I did, you were already gone in my mind. I told myself that I would tell you how I felt after the semi-finals, but then I saw you wink at Leon and- and somehow it all made sense to me. You grew up with him, always seemed happy around him and you were blushing. I had caught an Applin for you, but it didn't matter because you didn't know it was me and you already liked Leon. Then everything went by so fast. Leon won against you, then became the champion, and the next thing I knew, you were on a plane without as much as a goodbye. I spent weeks out in the wild area, training, and trying not to think about you. Then, the Hammerlock gym leader approached me and offered me his position. I trained under him until the next season started and I officially became the gym leader during the yearly banquet. Then six years passed and Leon was dethroned and I walk out to join him at the barbeque, only to completely freeze when I realized that you were back. I told myself that it would be better if I ignored you, that I wouldn't fall for you again if I only kept my distance. But I couldn't stay away. You had become a confident and beautiful woman, graceful yet ferocious in battle." A blush rushed on to my cheeks as I grinned. 

My breath hitched as he stood, his eyes melting my defenses. Arceus above, why did he have to look at me like that? If I had been standing, there was no doubt that my legs would have shaken. 

Slowly, as he continued his story, he made his way over to me until his hands caged my face. "I got jealous when I saw you talking to Mark, but still tried to keep my distance because I knew what would happen if I came close to you again. I knew what would happen, but I still couldn't stay away. I could never stay away from you. And now I stand here, asking you to forgive me for all of those idiotic years because I can’t live without you." I could feel his voice rumbling in his chest making my stomach turn. My eyes flicked from his eyes to his lips, and I couldn't tell whether it was the warm steam that swirled around us or his gaze that made my skin heat. 

Every word I could think of died on my tongue or got trapped in my throat. The only word that came out in barely a whisper was a simple, 'yes,' before he closed the gap. My breath hitched as his arm wound around my waist and pulled me up, pulling me flush against his bare torso. My heart fluttered at the contact of his lips upon mine. I moaned as he licked my bottom lip, begging for an entrance. He growled when I granted it by pulling on his lower lip. I gasped as he quickly lifted me out of the water, placing me on the edge of the jacuzzi while he settled between my legs. I whimpered as his hard length pressed against my core, moaned as he moved his lips to nip at my neck. His arms kept pulling me closer and closer as if I was never close enough. My body begged for more as he moved against my core. His name fell from my lips as a prayer as my head fell back. 

Arceus, how long had we both wanted this? How long had we both needed this? I wanted him to touch me until my skin was in flames, kiss me until I saw stars. My back arched into him as his hands ran up and down my sides.

My throat was dry by the time we finally parted. Breathing heavily, Raihan rested his forehead against mine. "God I love you," he breathed out. My eyes shot to meet his, Butterfree taking flight in my stomach as my lips parted and my cheeks tingled. A cautious smile played on his lips. "Allie, I am so sorry for everything. I should have known, I-" he swallowed thickly, looking down at our intertwined fingers. "I should have known that you and Leon would never- I should have known about Scarlet and I definitely should have messaged you when you were gone. I am so sorry"

My head shook quickly before I tilted forward, catching his lips with mine. "I’m sorry too, Rai. I should have known that it was Scarlett using some mind trick." He chuckled, pecking my lips. "But it doesn't matter now. What matters is that I love you and I don't want to live without you either."

His grin widened. "Then I guess I have a stunning gym leader to take out some time." Not even a beat later, his stomach growled.

"Or I have a handsome Dragon Leader to take out tonight," I laughed kissing his cheek. "There's an amazing curry place in town. Why don't I take the hot dragon gym leader out?"

I giggled when he growled and pulled me closer. "Speaking my language, sweetheart."

I grinned. "I've always been able to speak dragon," I winked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing these characters, and i love Pokemon Sword and Shield, so if any if you want to see more of them, then i will happily write it. And once again, Thanks to everyone who stuck around and waited for the chapters. Love you all.


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